CLEAN-Air(Africa)

What CLEAN-Air(Africa) does

CLEAN-Air(Africa) is a UK-government-funded global health research consortium, established in 2022 as a NIHR Global Health Research Unit (funding reference NIHR134530), that investigates household air pollution (HAP), clean cooking interventions, and health systems strengthening across sub-Saharan Africa. Its primary mandate is to generate evidence on the health impacts of polluting solid fuels — which cause more than 680,000 premature deaths annually in the region, exceeding malaria and HIV/AIDS combined — and to inform national policy on clean household energy adoption. The consortium operates as a partnership between the University of Liverpool (UK, co-directorship) and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI, co-directorship), with research nodes at Moi University (Kenya), Rwanda Biomedical Centre, University of Dar es Salaam, Makerere University Lung Institute (Uganda), and Douala General Hospital (Cameroon).

Core technical assets include the KEMRI–University of Liverpool Air Pollution Centre of Excellence (APCE) in Nairobi, which houses Africa's first robotic gravimetric filter weighing system (MTLAH500E), Ultrasonic Personal Air Samplers (UPAS) version 2, and Stove Use Monitors (SUMs), and which received ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation in June 2026. Key program offerings include the Community Household Air Pollution Prevention Programme (CHAP-PP), a three-day CHW training module adopted by the Kenyan Ministry of Health and being adapted via WHO collaboration for Uganda, Rwanda, and Cameroon; the TeachBox digital training platform used in Uganda; an online training course on HAP epidemiology and qualitative research; and the Schools Clean Cooking Programme assessing PM2.5 exposure in school kitchens across Rwanda and Kenya.

CLEAN-Air(Africa) does not sell products or services and generates no commercial revenue; all training resources are free to access, and operations are sustained by UK government grant funding routed through NIHR. Recent expansion includes a November 2025 partnership with Faith Engineering for institutional clean cooking in schools, a Tanzania RCT launched in April 2025 with high-level government engagement, and an NIHR Cohort Academic Development Award funding 17 PhD trainees from eight African countries. The primary beneficiaries are government health ministries and community health workers across six countries, with downstream impact on households and schools reliant on polluting solid fuels.

Name

CLEAN-Air(Africa)

Legal name

CLEAN-Air(Africa)

Website

https://cleanairafrica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CLEAN-Air(Africa) is a NIHR-funded global health research consortium, established in 2022 and coordinated from the University of Liverpool and KEMRI, that generates evidence and trains health workers to address household air pollution and accelerate clean cooking adoption across six sub-Saharan African countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Health Research

NAICS

Remediation Services (562910), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) & Building Environmental Sampling (EUAHACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (Criteria Pollutants & Air Toxics) (EUAHACAA), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC)

Keywords

• Household air pollution research
• Clean cooking interventions
• Global health research
• Clean energy access
• Health systems strengthening

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CLEAN-Air(Africa) is a NIHR-funded global health research consortium that investigates household air pollution (HAP) and clean cooking transitions across sub-Saharan Africa. It delivers evidence-based training programmes (such as CHAP-PP), free online courses, an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited Air Pollution Centre of Excellence laboratory, and multi-country research initiatives on schools clean cooking, behavioural interventions, and health systems strengthening.

Product overview

CLEAN-Air(Africa) is a NIHR Global Health Research Unit operating as a research and capacity building organization rather than a commercial product company. Its portfolio consists of the Community Household Air Pollution Prevention Programme (CHAP-PP) - an evidence-based training initiative for community health workers, the Training on Household Air Pollution & Health online course, the Air Pollution Centre of Excellence (APCE) - a state-of-the-art air quality measurement laboratory, and the Schools Clean Cooking Programme. The TeachBox digital platform supports training delivery. These offerings are research programs, training resources, and accredited laboratory services focused on addressing household air pollution and promoting clean cooking transitions across sub-Saharan Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Household Air Pollution Prevention Programme (CHAP-PP) An evidence-based training module delivered to community health workers through a three-day workshop, including illustrated flipcharts, videos with QR codes, and photography job aids for household air pollution prevention messaging. Designed for adoption into national CHW curricula.
• Training on Household Air Pollution & Health An online training course providing an overview of innovative methods for epidemiological and qualitative research in household air pollution, including modules on publishing findings and funding support. Free to access.
• Air Pollution Centre of Excellence (APCE) Laboratory Services State-of-the-art air quality measurement and processing laboratory featuring Africa's first MTLAH500E robotic gravimetric filter weighing system, ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited for PM2.5 measurement and analysis. Serves researchers and public health stakeholders measuring household air pollution.
• Schools Clean Cooking Programme Research programme assessing air pollution in schools cooking with polluting fuels across Rwanda and Kenya, measuring PM2.5 concentrations and health impacts on school cooks and students, with recent evaluation partnership for institutional clean cooking.
• TeachBox Digital Platform A cost-effective digital platform used to train Village Health Teams in Uganda for implementation of CHAP-PP, enabling rapid scale of community health worker training in hard-to-reach contexts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 680,000 premature deaths per year attributed to household air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa - HAP causes more mortality than malaria and HIV/AIDS combined
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, supporting and core.

• Faith EngineeringmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2025Partnership to maximize health, education and climate impacts from institutional clean cooking in Africa. Faith Engineering provides steam cooking solutions powered by clean fuels (LPG, electricity, solar) to schools and public institutions across Kenya. CAA will evaluate health, education and climate impacts.
• MGASsupportingTechnology or Integration · 23 April 2025Technology partner for Tanzania RCT exploring scalable technology solutions including smart meter pay-as-you-go LPG to address barriers to cost of adoption and sustained exclusive clean cooking use.
• University of LiverpoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirectorship and global coordination of the NIHR CLEAN-Air(Africa) Global Health Research Unit. Co-Director Prof Daniel Pope leads from Liverpool. Provides overall scientific leadership, research methodology expertise, and administrative coordination for the multi-country partnership.
• Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-Director Dr James Mwitari based at KEMRI. Houses the Air Pollution Centre of Excellence with state-of-the-art laboratory facilities including Africa's first robotic gravimetric filter weighing system. Provides research infrastructure and local coordination for Kenyan operations.
• Rwanda Biomedical CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational research coordination in Rwanda with Prof Claude Muvunyi as Rwanda Principal Investigator and Dr Clarisse Musanabaganwa as Co-PI. Conducts research on fuel use, air pollution, and respiratory/cardiovascular health outcomes.
• University of Dar es SalaamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for RCT implementation in Tanzania on barriers to exclusive clean cooking. Includes Centre for Behavioural Studies for behavioral intervention research. Dr Innocent Pantaleo serves as Principal Investigator.
• Moi UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead Investigator Prof Mabel Nangami. Conducts burns surveillance research and clinical/community research in western Kenya. Study Coordinator Beatrice Kipkemei leads operations including 5-year burns records evaluation.
• Makerere University Lung InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHAP-PP implementation partner in Uganda using TeachBox digital platform for Village Health Team training. Dr Bruce Kirenga serves as Uganda Principal Investigator. Conducts lung health research and prevention programs.
• Douala General HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCameroon national research coordination. Prof Bertrand Hugo Mbatchou serves as national coordinator and principal investigator, leading respiratory health research, burns studies, and community engagement activities in Cameroon.
• International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for PhD student training program supported by NIHR CADA Award. Hosted training in Nairobi alongside KEMRI and University of Liverpool. Aims to foster cross-fertilisation of ideas and networking.
• AGreatEsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSolar energy solution provider being discussed for off-grid institutional clean cooking powered by battery storage. Partnership under evaluation to provide solar solution including battery storage for steam cooking in hard-to-reach contexts.
• Tanzanian Government MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Tanzanian Prime Minister's office, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance, and LPG Society of Tanzania for RCT launch and national clean cooking strategy implementation under SDG 7.
• World Health OrganizationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to adapt CHAP-PP training materials and methods for engagement with community health workforces in Uganda, Rwanda, and Cameroon. WHO-hosted symposium in Rwanda on household air pollution and health policy.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• BURN Manufacturing: East Africa-based manufacturer of efficient cookstoves targeting the same sub-Saharan household cooking market. Adjacent in value chain — converts HAP research insights into deployed hardware — rather than a direct competitor.
• Pure Earth (formerly Blacksmith Institute): International NGO addressing pollution-related health threats including indoor air pollution in low-income countries. Comparable mission and developing-country health focus, though broader across pollution categories.

Broad incumbents

• Clean Cooking Alliance (formerly Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves): Multi-donor public-private partnership hosted at the UN Foundation convening governments, industry, and researchers on clean cooking adoption. Operates in the same HAP/clean-cooking space but with a much broader sector-coordination remit.

Others

• Practical Action: International NGO working on poverty reduction through technology including clean cooking and household energy in developing countries. Comparable international development footprint and clean-energy adoption focus.
• WHO Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health: UN agency setting global guidelines on household air pollution and collaborating with CLEAN-Air(Africa) on CHAP-PP. Operates upstream in policy/guidelines rather than field research.
• World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP): Multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank that finances clean cooking and energy access programmes. Comparable funder-of-funders role shaping the same HAP/clean-energy policy environment.
• KEMRI (Kenya Medical Research Institute): Host institution for the Air Pollution Centre of Excellence and partner rather than competitor, but comparable as the leading medical research body in East Africa running parallel respiratory disease and environmental health programmes.
• SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: Dutch development organisation running large-scale clean cooking and energy access programmes across Africa and Asia. Comparable donor-funded development delivery model targeting HAP reduction at household scale.

Direct peers

• MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge: UK-based academic unit conducting epidemiological research on environmental exposures including household air pollution in low- and middle-income countries. Comparable NIHR-funded research model and methodological approach.
• Berkeley Air Monitoring Group: Specialised environmental monitoring and exposure assessment firm focused on household air pollution and clean cooking interventions globally. Directly comparable as a peer doing field exposure science in similar geographies and clean-cooking programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CLEANAirAfrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/CleanAirAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-air-africa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CLEAN-Air(Africa)