A BRIEF STATEMENT
(5 Minutes)
Community-Based Adaptation to Health Effects of
Climate Change in Africa
By Prof. Paul Omondi
(24th-26th November, 2014)
TOPIC JUSTIFICATION
Climate change is an issue which involves crosscutting programs that will require strategic ideas
and application of knowledge to inform health
care financing, human resources for health,
community systems strengthening and the post
2015 health agenda.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND
HEALTH IN AFRICA
(1) In Africa, the potential health effects of climate
change on human health is real and of great
concern
(2) Literature including IPCC AR4 and other reports
has identified a potentially wide range of human
health effects from climate change in Africa.
These conclude that Africa faces the highest
global health burdens of climate change, from:
CLIMATE CHANGE AND
HEALTH IN AFRICA Cont..
(a)
The shift or increase in incidence of malaria,
diarrhoea, schistosomiasis, as well as other vector
borne diseases such as dengue fever, yellow
fever, encephalitis (tick) and Trypanosomiasis
(Tsetse fly), noting that these changes could be
positive for some regions or time periods.
(b) Heat related mortality and morbidity.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND
HEALTH IN AFRICA Cont..
(c) Increased incidence of deaths/injuries/disease
linked to the coastal and inland flooding, as well
as secondary events from these floods associated
with water borne diseases, such as cholera,
typhoid, dysentery.
(d) Indirect effects associated with changes in the
risk of under-nourishment and malnutrition, and
wider effects between economic and development
levels and health.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND
HEALTH IN AFRICA Cont..
(3) It should also be noted that climate change will
affect individuals, communities, and societies
differently, but most vulnerable will be the elderly
– older people. This cohort will be most affected,
for example, by heat wave and other diseases.
(4)There are also indirect health effects that may
include anxiety and depression.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND
HEALTH IN AFRICA Cont..
(5) The World Health Organization (1990) and many
other literature consider the consequences of
global warming as the most pressing problem of
the 21st century, the post 2015 and a serious threat
to sustainable development.
Africa would be the most affected not only because
of being tropical climate, but also because of its
high level of vulnerability – lack of infrastructure
health facilities and other problems.
THE SITUATION IN KENYA
(1) In Kenya, one of the main impacts of climate change on
human health identified by the National Climate Change
Response Strategy (NCCRS) is that diseases such as
malaria, cholera, ebola, lyme disease, plague, tuberculosis,
sleeping sickness, yellow fever, and Rift valley fever are
expected to spread as temperatures rise and precipitation
patterns change.
(2) In addition, during floods, diseases such as typhoid,
amoeba, cholera, and bilharzias will reach epidemic levels
(Government of Kenya, 2010). Experts say that climate
change is already fueling Malaria in Kenya.
COMMUNITY-BASED
ADAPTATION
(1)
Adaptation to climate change health risks should take
place at the individual, family, community, and
government levels.
(2) Adaptation here is used to refer to the process of
designing, implementing, mentoring, and evaluating
strategies, policies, and measures intended to reduce
climate change-related health effects. It implies prevention
or real or perceived health effects.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
(Community-Based Approaches)
(1) Grassroots actions undertaken at the community level
(2) Increased research on climate change health effects
(3) Push for global fund for health effects of climate change
(4) Amref to create a climate change unit for research and
action
(5) All stakeholders scholars, programme leaders, advocates,
professionals, universities and other research institutions,
NGOs, and individual experts in the health sector.
(6) Increased sharing of knowledge (which is still limited),
experience and scientific research results on climate
change and human health in Africa.