Stakeholders have adopted Nigeria’s Climate Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Report aimed at strengthening the resilience and adaptive capacity of the health systems to deal with the adverse health effects of climate change.
They met at a stakeholders validation workshop organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, aimed at providing mitigation strategies and enhancing resilience to cushion the incidence of diseases stemming from the climate crisis.
Speaking at the programme, the Director of Public Health in the ministry, Dr Chukwuma Anyaike, observed that the country had witnessed increased flooding, and recorded an increase in the cases of cholera, while some places where mosquitoes do not breed, the effect of climate has made it warmer for the victors to breed in such places, thereby increasing the burden of malaria.
Anyaike stated that flooding has significantly increased the breeding sites of lymphatic filariasis adding that out of the 774 local councils visited, 583 of them have a high burden of lymphatic
impacts associated with climate change,” he added.
WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo, said the evolving climate patterns have not only affected human life and productivity but have also posed significant health risks.
Mulombo, represented by the National Technical Officer for Public Health and Environment, Dr Edwin Edeb, stressed that the escalating flooding, which serves as breeding grounds for disease vectors, has led to a rise in malaria cases and other waterborne diseases.
He stressed the importance of proactive measures within the health sector to combat climate-induced challenges and bridge existing gaps, adding that the validation of the report by stakeholders signifies a crucial step towards identifying priority interventions for implementation in Nigeria.
According to him, these interventions align with the national health security agenda of safeguarding the Nigerian population from health emergencies. Mulombo stated that the surge in cholera cases in Lagos and Bayelsa, and the impact of floods on health facilities, underscores the urgent need to address climatic challenges affecting healthcare delivery. He advocated proactive measures be initiated within the health sector to combat climate-induced challenges and bridge existing gaps.
Also, Senior Health Adviser, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Nigeria, Mr Dave McConalogue, stressed the importance of financing economic mobility and adaptation assessments, which will help Nigeria, fulfil its commitments made at COP 26 in building a climate-resilient and low-carbon healthcare system.
Speaking on gender vulnerability, Director, Help Desk, National Climate Council in Nigeria, Mrs Rukayya Mohammad, highlighted the gender policies addressing gender-based violence and the inclusion of gender-related recommendations in the assessment. She further assured Nigerians of forthcoming gender-related initiatives.
