Photo Credit: Martha Tadesse/IRC
Governments in African Countries need to ensure that their Ministries of Health can effectively coordinate, improve understanding and monitor climate change risks and impacts on health.
This was the message from the World Health Organization Africa Region(WHO-Afro) on the World Health Day — April 7 2022, under the theme, “Our Health, Our Planet.”
WHO is supporting countries to reinforce their health systems to adapt, be more resilient and better cope with climate-linked emergencies. The measures include assessing health system weaknesses, developing and implementing measures to cushion people’s lives and health from the adverse consequences of climate-related health crises.
Already, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania in partnership with the World Health Organization have set up an early warning and response system to predict the risk of vector- and water-borne disease and respond effectively.
“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,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Read full statement here: Africa faces rising climate-linked health emergencies | WHO | Regional Office for Africa
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