Climate Change: a public health imperative for Africa

As the global community huddles in negotiation for COP30, a stark message emerges from the African continent: the impacts of climate change are deepening economic losses and jeopardising health progress across developing nations. A recently published health policy paper by Lancet Countdown Africa, unveiled at the University of Pretoria (UP), sheds light on this pressing issue, making it clear that the stakes are alarmingly high.

Despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, African nations are bearing the brunt of severe climate-related threats—ranging from rising food insecurity and infectious diseases to deteriorating air quality and immense strain on already burdened health systems. The Lancet Countdown Africa's paper not only reveals these realities but also calls for immediate action from policymakers across the continent.

Dr Zakari Ali, a fellow with Lancet Countdown Africa, underscores that while challenges abound, African nations are not starting from scratch. “the solutions to adapt to the health impacts of climate change in Africa will not come easily, but we are not starting from zero,” he said. He advocates for the timely development of expertise and the utilisation of existing data to inform effective actions to protect health across the region.

In response to the intense health needs exacerbated by climate change, the Lancet Countdown has established a new regional centre in Africa, hosted by UP’s Future Africa pan-African platform. Previously incubated at the Medical Research Council Unit in The Gambia (MRCG) and funded by Wellcome, this Centre aims to unite regional experts and institutions to generate locally relevant evidence. Its goal is to track climate-related health indicators and empower African policymakers with robust data to facilitate effective climate action.

Professor Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi, Director of Lancet Countdown Africa, articulates the mission of this innovative Centre.

“As the health impacts of climate change worsen, affecting millions of lives and livelihoods on the continent, the new Lancet Countdown will assemble eminent experts across the field of climate change and health,” he said. The Centre aims not only to elevate African voices in global discussions but also to translate international climate commitments into actionable strategies that safeguard health and livelihoods in a rapidly changing climate.

Professor Kris Murray, Lead of Nutrition and Planetary Health at MRCG at LSHTM, emphasises the necessity of collaboration in combating these challenges.

“Advancing knowledge and action on the health impacts of climate change cannot be effectively achieved without bringing together voices, evidence and coordinated responses from all corners of the globe. The establishment of the African Centre is aimed at doing just that," he stated, further stressing the crucial need for dialogue and coordination in climate and health responses.

As the backdrop of climate change continues to pose an escalating threat to the health and well-being of communities across Africa, the urgency for a new paradigm of action—anchored in local evidence—becomes ever more pressing. This call to action stands not just as an academic conversation, but a clarion call for policymakers to ensure that health protection takes centre stage in climate action and development planning.