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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Dear Xavier<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Thus study is fine, What has been under the spotlight are claims that were not supported by anything other than the fact so many
people repeated the claims. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Quite separately, the whole business of ‘modeling exposure’ is for some reason being done so poorly that it is a cause of concern
for people actually involved in the allocation of resources.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">There is a certain attraction of ‘making stuff up’ that suits the agenda of those with agendas. Obviously. That is not new by any
means, but it doesn’t make for good policy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">We should keep those two separate: the Malawi study and the claims for exposure and impact on human health. The study (which is
bound to be repeated because of the policy implications) undermines the claims of health impact in terms of childhood pneumonia – something given great weight in policy to date.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Regards<br>
Crispin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tom,<br>
Closing the list? I'd be curious to know who had this brilliant idea.<br>
That'd be terrible, this is the space where we can find truly helpful information. This list has helped a lot of people. Much more than any webinar or conference/workshop ever did. Freedom of speech has its flaws, but among rants and negative emotions, there
are some ideas too.<br>
I still think we can use freedom of speech discuss on this list with patience, without too much anger or scorn.<br>
<br>
Nikhil,<br>
I can understand your frustration, but we don't know about the motives of the people behind this study, the way they think, the way they work. Rather than "qualify" them, I would really focus on their work, and on the scientific debate: did they screw up? Did
they do a bad job? Where and why?<br>
<br>
You are sure about the fact that a methodology where 3 groups in each village using
<b>only </b>and for a given length of time traditional stove, or improved woodstove, or electric plates, wouldn't at all allow to
<b>prove or have a fairly good assumption</b> that cleaner cooking does exist, and has a positive impact on health (may it be pneumonia or other diseases)?<br>
If not, why?<br>
<br>
Gentlemen and women,<br>
I think for the sake of clarity, we should really put this simply. And we should start interacting with the study authors.<br>
People on this list question the study methodology: <o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
Assumption 1: there is a lot more to health than pneumonia.<o:p></o:p>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
Question 1 for the study authors: what do they think? Can cookstoves be cleaner, their use healthier than traditional stoves? They said some users noticed they were coughing less? How important is that, in terms of health?<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
Assumption 2: there is a lot more to pneumonia than just the smoky cooking device, there is malnutrition for example.<o:p></o:p>
<ul type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
Action 1: what are the scientific papers which back up this assumption?<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1">
Question 2 for the study authors: didn't they know there was a lot more to pneumonia than just the cooking device? If so, then why such a methodology? Don't they think their results prove nothing?"<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
</li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">Has one of us started to talk with them? If not, should one of us do so?<br>
We need to start this conversation, if we want to be going somewhere. We need to ask clarifications, present arguments, they will counter-argument, etc. etc. This is how a sound scientific debate
<br>
And this is how, collectively, we can agree on the right methodology for the next million-dollar health study to measure impact that we can be sure will happen in the future.<br>
Instead, alas, of funding R&D to make cleaner stoves.<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
<br>
Xavier<o:p></o:p></p>
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