The Minister of State Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako, has said that climate change events, such as extreme weather, widespread flooding, large storms, heat waves, long droughts, wildfires, coastal erosion, and hurricanes have increased demands for healthcare in the country.

Salako who presented a paper titled: Building a Resilient Health Workforce: Embracing Climate-Centric Innovations at a Scientific Conference organised by the National Association of Resident Doctors in Abeokuta, Ogun State, noted that the prevailing trajectory of climate change is posing an existential threat to humanity, sustainable development, planetary health and affecting the vulnerable groups.

He explained that scientists have been able to link the increasing extreme weather events to climate change occasioned by global warming. “Based on the overall health costs of climate change from $2 billion–$4 billion and is projected to reach $54 trillion for a 1.5°C increase and $69 trillion or a 2°C increase by 2100.”

The minister said in 2024, these weather extremes appear to be occurring across the world at a level never seen before with many climate scientists saying they cannot remember ever seeing such level of climate disasters and human suffering.

According to Salako, the challenges posed to the health system and workforce by climate change will require strengthening the system to mitigate and adapt. “Apart from shifting disease patterns with increased incidence of heat-related illnesses, it is also directly causing injuries and deaths and has been linked to increases in violent crimes.”

Salako stated that more than 70 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions is from the health sector and is due to medical waste, production/ manufacturing of medical products and employees commuting to and from work, and areas often overlooked by the health system.

“Over 400 million people in Nigeria are projected to be at risk of malaria by 2070, diarrhoea disease in children under 15 attributable to climate change is projected to be almost 10 per cent by 2030 and heat-related deaths in the elderly 65 years and above is projected to increase to about 80 per 100,000 annually by 2080 compared to the baseline of three as at 1990,” he added.