PRESIDENT Mnangagwa is tomorrow expected to officially open the inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC 2024) in Harare where policymakers and other stakeholders are seeking to come up with solutions to the harmful health impact of climate change.
The three-day conference, which is being hosted by the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Research (CeSHHAR) Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife and the Ministry of Health and Child Care, brings together a diverse group of over 400 participants from around the world, including representatives from at least 36 African governments and 60 early career researchers.
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference yesterday, CHAC 2024 chairperson Dr Fortunate Machingura, highlighted the importance of bringing together policymakers and scientists so that they engage with scientific evidence emanating from various research works already done.
"There is already evidence that shows that climate change affects health outcomes negatively. For example, increased temperatures can impact birth outcomes for women who are exposed to high temperatures before and during pregnancy. In the third trimester, they are likely to experience pre-term births, low birth weight or stillbirth. So that's really devastating, and if we don't have the evidence, it's difficult to start thinking about how policy is going to be implemented," she said.
Dr Machingura said it was crucial to start thinking about solutions which cut across multiple sectors and disciplines.
To this end, CHAC 2024 is incorporating cutting-edge research evidence into understanding climate-health mechanisms, the health impacts, effective adaptation and mitigation intervention strategies, equitable climate research, and discussing how to effectively translate research into policy.
According to experts, climate change poses a significant threat to public health across Africa, exacerbating existing health challenges and creating new ones.
As a result, vulnerable populations, particularly in rural areas, face heightened risks due to limited access to healthcare and resources.
Dr Adelheid Onyango, the World Health Organisation Africa Regional Office Director for Healthier Populations Cluster, said the conference was a call to action for all Governments to recognise the most important health threat of the 20th century.
"Climate change is driving a very large burden of diseases, many of them re-emerging in this region. We are experiencing cyclones that are lasting for longer periods than usual. We are experiencing flooding, and droughts and both of those extreme events lead to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, which are affecting very large proportions of nations. In the Horn of Africa, we have a long-running drought that is driving a lot of people into lost livelihoods, malnutrition, migration, all the problems that come as a result of the displacement crisis," she said.
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Dr Onyango said the most important step was to tap into the transdisciplinary knowledge that was coming out of the discussions by scientists and researchers at the conference.
She said that information could be used to address the lived experiences of communities and also encourage policymakers to put in place strategic solutions in terms of development.
Dr Onyango said sectors such as agriculture, health, commerce, industry, and transport were intertwined.
"The way we construct housing, the facilities around us, sanitation systems, water systems, all those are systems that need to be strengthened so that the impacts of climate change are minimised.
"Right now, we have weak systems and as a result of that, the impact of climate change, both those that happen slowly and the sudden events, is huge on human health and human well-being. This is because our systems are too weak to provide shelter and resilience that protects people from the adverse conditions related to climate change," she said.
Data shows that more than 50 health emergencies have been reported in Africa annually since 2001. In 2023 alone, extreme weather events resulted in the deaths of more than 15 000 people, while droughts impacted over 88 million individuals across six African countries.
