By Adedapo Adesanya
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised an alarm about the rising climate-related health emergencies in Africa, noting that urgent steps must be taken to address the issue.
In its analysis, the global health body said climate-linked emergencies account for more than half of public health events recorded in the region over the past two decades.
The analysis found that out of the 2,121 public health events recorded in the African region between 2001 and 2021, 56 per cent were climate-related.
It was disclosed that Africa is witnessing an increase in climate-linked emergencies, with 25 per cent more climate-related events recorded between 2011 and 2021 compared with the previous decade.
This is one of the focuses of World Health Day (marked every year on April 7) and the global health regulator has themed this year’s event Our Planet. Our Health.
It also used the opportunity to call on governments to, among other recommendations, prioritize human well-being in all key decisions, stop new fossil fuel explorations and subsidies, tax polluters and implement WHO air quality guidelines.
According to Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, “Climate change is one of the greatest threats to humanity. The entire foundation of good health is in jeopardy with increasingly severe climatic events.
“In Africa, frequent floods, water- and vector-borne diseases are deepening health crises. Although the continent contributes the least to global warming, it bears the full consequences.”
WHO Analysis Findings
The WHO analysis found that water-borne diseases accounted for 40 per cent of the climate-related health emergencies over the past two decades.
In Africa, diarrhoeal diseases are the third leading cause of disease and death in under 5 children. A significant proportion of these deaths is preventable through safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and hygiene.
The analysis also showed that vector-borne diseases, notably yellow fever, accounted for 28 per cent of the climate-related health emergencies, while zoonotic diseases, specifically Congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever, were the third most prevalent. Congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever is a viral disease transmitted to people from ticks and livestock and has an outbreak fatality rate of up to 40 per cent
Natural disasters have also spiked dramatically since 2010, with 70 per cent of all-natural disasters occurring between 2017 and 2021. Floods were the most frequent event, accounting for 33 per cent of all the reported natural disasters.
It also found that Africa is also grappling with other significant health impacts linked to climatic shocks, including malnutrition and hunger due to adverse weather on agricultural production, long-term health, and development challenges in children, as well as other infectious diseases such as malaria.
In Africa, climate change is likely to expand the range of malaria high-risk zones, according to a report by the Netherlands-based Global Centre on Adaptation. Even though malaria mortality has decreased from 840 000 deaths in 2000 to 602 000 deaths in 2020, the disease remains a major health challenge on the continent.
