This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced a plan to get cleaner-burning cooking stoves into developing countries. The plan aims to reduce deaths caused by smoke from the traditional use of solid fuels and open fires.

Almost half the world's people breathe smoke from coal and biomass fuels like wood, dung and crop waste. The smoke can lead to lung cancer, heart disease, low birth weight and other problems. It also increases the risk of pneumonia, a leading cause of death in young children.

Women and children are most at risk because they spend the most time in the kitchen. Also, in areas of conflict, the search for fuel puts women at increased risk of violence.