More than half of the public health events that have taken place in Africa in the last 20 years have been linked to climate, according to a new analysis by the World Health Organisation – WHO.
Data from the UN health agency shows that between 2001 and 2021, a total of 2, 121 public health events were recorded in Africa. Out of the recorded events, 1,187 of them were linked to climate.
According to WHO, the African region is witnessing an increase in climate-linked emergencies, with 25% more climate-related events recorded between 2011 and 2021 compared with the previous decade.
The analysis shows that due to the climate, 40 percent of the reported public health events were caused by water-borne diseases.
In addition to this, it also shows that vector-borne diseases, notably yellow fever, accounted for 28% of the climate-related health emergencies, while zoonotic diseases, specifically Congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever, were the third most prevalent. The Congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever has an outbreak fatality rate of up to 40 percent.
While natural disasters such as floods also increased. Between 2017 and 2021, 70 percent of all the natural disasters recorded on the continent took place during this period.
During the last 20 years, Uganda has recorded more three Ebola outbreaks, Crimean Congo outbreaks and more than two yellow fever outbreaks. In a 2019 interview with Uganda radio Network – URN, Dr. Monica Musenero, an epidemiologist and Veterinarian, who is also the current Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation warned that zoonotic disease would likely increase due to activities like the depletion of forests by man which contribute to climate change.
In the interview, Dr. Musenro said due to the interaction between man and animals, zoonotic diseases such as Ebola, Marburg and Rift Valley fever would occur more frequently.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Africa region director says that although the region contributes least in global warming, it bears the full consequences.
” Climate change is one of the greatest threats to humanity. The entire foundation of good health is in jeopardy with increasingly severe climatic events. In Africa, frequent floods, water- and vector-borne diseases are deepening health crises. Although the continent contributes the least to global warming, it bears the full consequences,” she says.
With such an increase, the WHO is calling on governments to prioritize human well-being in all key decisions, stop new fossil fuel explorations and subsidies, tax polluters and implement WHO air quality guidelines.
