The 2024 COP29 held in Baku Azerbaijan led to delegates agreeing to $300 billion by 2035 to support developing nations to deal the climate crisis.
For a few years now, the intersection between climate change on human health has been gaining traction climate finance has been at the heart of the discussions.
Africa stands at crossroads, bearing the brunt of climate change’s impacts despite contributing minimally to global emissions. Climate change is not just an environmental crisis; it is a public health emergency, especially in Africa.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (6AR), tens of millions of Africans are already experiencing the detrimental health effects of climate change.
From heat stress and extreme weather events to the increased spread of infectious diseases, the continent faces a dual crisis: climate change and health vulnerabilities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause an additional 250,000 deaths annually due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea, and heat stress.
These figures highlight a grim reality – Africa’s health sector, already under-resourced and overburdened, is ill-equipped to manage the growing threats posed by climate change. The global community must recognize this as a health crisis, not just an environmental one, and act swiftly to mitigate its impacts.
The evidence is compelling and demands immediate attention. The 2023 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change also reports that climate change is exacerbating health inequalities, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable populations. Africa, as indicated in the IPCC’s 2023 report, is warming faster than the global average, with severe implications for public health.
The UN Environment Programme estimates that adaptation costs in developing countries could reach $300 billion annually by 2030, underlining the financial gap in addressing climate and health issues.
As Africa faces a complex array of population and health challenges due to climate change, understanding these impacts is crucial for implementing effective adaptation and mitigation strategies to protect vulnerable populations.
According to a study published in the Annals of Global Health, Africa faces diverse and human health challenges due to climate change, as well as the inability to strengthen health resilience.
These include a lack of awareness about the linkages between climate and health, inadequate governance mechanisms to manage these linkages, and insufficient institutional and technical capacity to design and implement effective response plans.
The financial and resource deficits further exacerbate the continent’s vulnerability, making it difficult to protect its populations from the escalating health risks posed by climate change.
Understanding health impacts of climate change in Africa in all its complexity is essential for implementing effective strategies and policies to mitigate risks and protect vulnerable populations.
Intersection of climate change and health presents unique opportunities.
Despite these challenges, the intersection of climate change and health also present unique opportunities. By addressing both issues simultaneously, Africa can achieve more sustainable and resilient health outcomes. For instance, investing in sustainable health infrastructure not only improves health services but also builds resilience against climate impacts.
Initiatives that reduce carbon emissions, such as promoting clean energy, can have immediate health benefits by reducing air pollution. Integrated policies that address both health and climate can lead to more effective solutions. Attracting climate finance to health-focused projects can help close the adaptation gap and enhance resilience.
Moreover, leveraging technology for health and climate data can improve response strategies, and empowering local communities with knowledge and resources can foster grassroots resilience.
One promising solution that embodies this integrated approach is eCooking, which can reduce emissions, improve health, and create opportunities for millions of people who still rely on polluting and inefficient cooking methods. The recent unveiling of the Global eCooking Coalition (GeCCo) at the Africa Climate Summit is a significant milestone in promoting clean and efficient cooking solutions across the continent.
What Africa needed at COP29.
Africa needs to negotiate and advocate better for stronger international support to address the health impacts of climate change.
The continent should have demanded increased financial commitments for health-focused climate adaptation projects, enhanced technology transfer to improve health resilience, and more robust global partnerships to address the unique vulnerabilities Africa faces.
Additionally, Africa should have pushed for the integration of health into global climate strategies, ensuring that climate action plans prioritise health and well-being of its populations.
The urgency of integrating climate health action with sustainable development in Africa cannot be overstated. The multiple economic gains from reducing the current impacts and projected risks of climate change on the continent’s population health are clear. Climate action must be woven into Africa’s development agenda to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, protect vulnerable populations, and promote economic resilience.
The African Climate Summit and COP28 set the stage for transformative action. In partnership, parties to COP developed the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health to capture both the threats and opportunities in the climate-health nexus and offer a path forward.
The COP29 Presidency also launched several “continuity coalitions” to bring together previous COP presidencies and other international organizations, with the purpose of ensuring that sectoral pledges build upon one another and do not duplicate efforts.
These continuity initiatives include work with the World Health Organization on climate and health to address public health emergency in the context of loss and damage, as well as mitigation and adaptation.
Now is the time to harness this momentum and ensure that health is at the forefront of climate strategies. By prioritising the health-climate nexus, we can safeguard the well-being of Africa’s people and build a more resilient future. Let’s turn commitments into concrete actions, leveraging every opportunity to create a healthier, and more sustainable world.
The Author is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of CarePoint. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Golden Palm Investments Corporation.
Views expressed in this article do not reflect the position of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
