Climate-related health emergencies are on the rise in Africa, where frequent floods and water-borne diseases exacerbate crises, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
According to an analysis by the WHO, these emergencies represent “more than half of the public health cases recorded in the region in the last two decades”, according to a statement from its regional office.
This analysis shows that “56% of the 2,121 public health cases reported in the African region between 2001 and 2021 are climate-related.”
In Africa, “frequent floods and water-borne and vector-borne diseases exacerbate health crises,” said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, quoted in the statement.
“Although the continent is the one that contributes the least to climate change, it is the one that suffers all its consequences”, he adds.
The WHO celebrates, on Thursday (7), the World Health Day under the slogan Our Planet, Our Health. It recommends “governments to prioritize human well-being in all essential decisions, stop new fossil fuel prospects and subsidies, tax polluters and implement their guidelines on air quality.”
In Africa, “diarrheal diseases are the third leading cause of illness and death in children under 5 years of age. A significant proportion of these deaths can be prevented with safe drinking water, adequate hygiene and sanitation,” the WHO emphasized.
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