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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Health Reporter
AFRICAN ministers of health have committed to speaking with one voice to address the growing threat of climate change on public health at the upcoming 29th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).
A high-level meeting convened by the World Health Organisation’s Regional Office for Africa on the sidelines of the Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC 2024) on Wednesday, brought together Health Ministers and representatives from 30 countries to develop a unified strategy to mitigate the health impacts of climate change and build resilience within African communities.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said health was the human face of climate change because all weather patterns affected by the phenomenon could have an impact on the livelihoods of people.
“When we talk about the human face of climate change, it is not just about temperatures and rainfall patterns. It’s about what that translates to insofar as it touches human lives. During this meeting, we discussed and shared the challenges that we face as different countries in relation to climate change as we deal with health issues. It was also to share and offer solutions on how we can mitigate against the health challenges resulting from climate change. We know that climate change is real and it has to be tackled,” he said.
Africa is the continent hardest hit by climate change yet it has the fewest resources to cope and has received minimal support from those responsible for causing it.
Dr Mombeshora said one of the decisions that Africa had to make as a collective was to compel developed countries to honour their commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
“Africa bears the brunt of climate change, whereas we are not the emitters of carbon, waste emitters. The waste emitters are most of these developed countries, here in Africa we can talk of Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. All the other countries are still very low carbon emitters but suffer. So it’s for us to come up with a solution as Africa, which we can then present to the COP 29 so that we can be heard with one voice,” he said.
Climate change expert Dr George Wamukoya said there was little mention of the impact of climate change on health in many position papers that had been presented on various platforms.
“If there is no mention of health, how do you expect health to be mentioned in the movement? Who is going to mention it? For Ministers, it is important that you have an engagement with each other, meet before we go into the COP, and see what is emerging. Engagement will be very important because it will trigger a message to the negotiators to make sure that is done,” he said.
Wellcome Trust’s head of capacity and field development Dr Modi Mwatsama said the climate crisis was a health crisis that needed a collective effort to address.
“As health continues to be an ongoing priority for COP presidency, we must build on this momentum. Health cannot be silenced in climate discussions. It is the lived experience of climate change. Wellcome is working to ensure health evidence is used powerfully to raise ambitions in climate policy to ensure decisions are made to tackle the climate crisis, and to ensure health equity at their core. Given that African and low-income countries will be most affected, global solutions and a call to action need to be driven by African perspectives and priorities, allowing a united African common position to better influence the climate change COP and other international platforms,” she said.
Dr Mwatsama said there was need for an increased understanding of the health impacts of climate change across Africa to enable greater research and science.
She said evidence-based solutions would drive Africa’s position and resource mobilisation for improved outcomes.
The African region has been particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In recent years, the continent has experienced a surge in climate-related health emergencies, including heatwaves, droughts, floods, and the spread of infectious diseases. These events have had devastating consequences, leading to loss of life, displacement, and increased healthcare burdens.
The high-level meeting focused on several key areas including the need to invest in resilient health systems that can withstand climate shocks and provide essential services to vulnerable populations.
Online Reporter