Experts in the health sector have predicted that the country would experience an additional 21% burden of disease due to climate change, while temperatures will continue to rise across the country between 2020 and 2050.
Advisor to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Dogara Kara stated this at the launched of the first Climate Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Report 2024 on Friday in Abuja.
At the launch, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate said that climate change was a wicked problem because of its complexity:
“If you look at Nigeria’s population dynamics and you look at 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”, he said.
The Minister noted that these impacts 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 and yellow fever.
Also, malnutrition because food systems have become fragile either from declining productivity in the food systems or flooding that destroys farmlands.
“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”, he said.
Speaking further, Dr. Kara said that the objectives of the report were 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.
On his part, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Molumbo noted that Nigeria’s commitment to a climate-resilient health sector had been evident since COP26 in 2021, where the country pledged to build a sustainable, low-emission health system.
Molumbo emphasised that the report was a “crucial milestone” in safeguarding the health of Nigerians against climate change, adding that it aligned with the commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
He however, stated that as Nigeria prepares for the future, investing in climate resilient health system was a crucial priority adding that WHO was proud and remained committed along with development partners to assist Nigeria in its pursuit for a healthier and more climate resistant future.
