To address the impact of climate change on health in Nigeria, the Federal Government has launched the first climate health vulnerability and adaptation assessment report 2024.
Speaking at the launch which took place at the closing ceremony of the Nigerian Health Sector Wide Joint Annual Review (JAR), an event that brought stakeholders; local and foreign partners together, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate said that due to it’s complexity, climate change is a wicked problem.
According to Prof Pate, “climate change is multifaceted, interconnects with several other elements and in trying to solve one problem, another problem features.
“If you look at Nigeria’s population dynamics, the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), and the burden of disease, you also see the areas that have the excessive climate vulnerability in our country.
“So these two issues are in some ways interconnected, whether it’s in rising temperature, impact on air quality and respiratory infections.”
Prof Pate stated further, that the impact of climate change could be felt in cases of flooding and diarrheal diseases, water contamination, cholera outbreaks due to rising water table, or in the protracted cycle of transmission of malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and also malnutrition because food systems have become fragile either from declining productivity in the food systems or flooding that destroys farmlands.
He said, “So this is a very complex issue but we cannot just wait and hope that it will disappear. Therefore, this work that we are launching is an effort to have a concrete plan that we can execute to adapt to this reality that we are facing as a people.
The Minister, while giving assurance of the commitment of the government towards ensuring resilient health systems based on resilient communities, said, that everyone must play a part.
He called on community leaders all over Nigeria to sensitise the population to understand the implication of the assessment so that they are aware of the changes in the climate.
“While government will do its part and we’re trying to expand primary health care system, provide vaccination, reproductive health for women and have the value chain strengthened, and better surveillance systems to deal with infectious diseases, the communities and households also have to be ready to do their own part,” he said.
The World Health Organisation’s Country representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Molumbo, said, that the commitment of Nigeria to a climate-resilient health sector has been evident since COP26 in 2021, where the country pledged to build a sustainable, low-emission health system.
According to Dr Walter, the report was a “crucial milestone” in safeguarding the health of Nigerians against climate change.
He further added, that the report aligns with the commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
Mulombo, however, said that as Nigeria prepares for the future, investing in climate resilient health system was a crucial priority and that WHO was proud and remains committed along with the dedicated partners in Nigeria in its pursuit for a healthier and more climate resistant future.
Dr Dogara Kara, the advisor to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, while talking about the report’s findings, said that the objectives of the report was to provide a baseline and future projections of the vulnerability and capacity of the country to adapt climate changes.
He added that the document would serve as evidence base for decision making and advocacy as well as resource organisation for the country.
Kara said that the report which has about 150 recommendations, notes that the risks and impacts of climate change on the health sector are projected to worsen in terms of severity, duration and magnitude across all geographic areas in Nigeria.
Also, that Nigeria will experience an additional 21 per cent burden of disease due to climate change, while temperatures will continue to rise across the country between 2020 and 2050.
Kara added that as a result of climate change, Nigeria will be exposed to increased rainfall across all regions and under most severe scenarios, sea levels are predicted to rise.
