What Parts Of Sub-saharan Africa Are Most Vulnerable To Global Climate Change?

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Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Modify in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Need for Ameliorate Evidence

• Nothemba Kula,
• Andy Haines,
• Robert Fryatt

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• Published: Jan 22, 2013
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001374

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Citation: Kula N, Haines A, Fryatt R (2013) Reducing Vulnerability to Climatic change in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Need for Meliorate Show. PLoS Med 10(one): e1001374. https://doi.org/10.1371/periodical.pmed.1001374

Published: Jan 22, 2013

Copyright: © 2013 Kula et al. This is an open up-access commodity distributed under the terms of the Artistic Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted utilise, distribution, and reproduction in whatsoever medium, provided the original writer and source are credited.

Funding: DFID commissioned the research. The funders had no role in study blueprint, data collection and analysis, determination to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing interests: RF is an adviser for DFID. The authors have declared that no other competing interests be.

Abbreviations: DALY, inability adjusted life yr; LDCF, To the lowest degree Developed Countries Fund; NAPA, National Adaptation Programs of Action; SSA, sub-Saharan Africa; UNFCCC, United nations Framework Convention on Climatic change; WHO, World Health Arrangement

Provenance: Non commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

Summary Points

• Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has contributed the to the lowest degree of whatever globe region to the global accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions still volition be more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than any other.
• Despite the growing awareness of Africa'due south vulnerability to climate change, at that place is very picayune empirical evidence on the health effects of climatic change in SSA.
• A cantankerous-disciplinary inquiry agenda needs to be developed to enhance understanding of the health furnishings of climate change in different settings inside SSA linking meteorology, climatology, other relevant sectors and health.
• Adaptive chapters needs to be congenital through health systems strengthening, and developing more resilient health facilities and supply chains.
• The health dividend of many actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions needs to exist better understood and appreciated by the climatic change and public health communities.

Introduction

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has contributed the least of any world region to the global aggregating of greenhouse gas emissions; however, this region will probably be more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change than any other [1]. Less than vii% of the globe's total emissions of greenhouse gases emanate from the African continent [two]; thus the continent contributes very little overall to climate change. Yet the highest regional brunt of climate alter is likely to be borne past SSA, with 34% of the global disability adjusted life years (DALYs) owing to the furnishings of climate change in the region [3]. The impacts of climatic change are likely to exist concentrated in low-income countries where poor populations already accept compromised heath prospects, health systems are weak, and where the capacity to adapt and accost vulnerabilities is limited. Withal, to mount a proper response at that place are some fundamental constraints that need to be addressed, which we further discuss in this Essay.

The Express Show On Climate Change And Health In Sub-Saharan Africa

Despite the growing awareness of SSA's vulnerability to climate change, at that place is very picayune empirical prove published about the effects of climatic change on population health in SSA [4]. Some attending has been given to potential increased incidence of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, particularly in highland areas in East Africa [5],[6]. Although this finding has been contested, increased temperatures together with changes in precipitation may exacerbate malaria epidemics and pb to the spread of malaria across its normal transmission zone [seven]. Overall, though, any possible outcome of climate change on malaria is likely to be two orders of magnitude smaller than those that tin be accomplished by the effective calibration-upwards of primal control measures [eight]. It is likely that climate change volition alter the ecology and transmission patterns of climate-sensitive, parasitic infections such as schistomiasis, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis, and other diseases such as cholera, diarrhoeal infections, and Rift Valley fever [nine]; but the overall impacts on health are unclear.

More significantly, climate change may touch seriously on environmentally sensitive sectors such equally water, agriculture, and food production and adversely affect human health and vulnerability to disease every bit a upshot [10]. Changing temperatures, humidity, and precipitation are expected to disrupt agricultural production systems, reducing food production and leading to higher levels of malnutrition, which in turn can increase vulnerability to disease. Significant rainfall reductions observed in critical crop-growing areas in East Africa have acquired astringent drought, resulting in loss of agronomical productivity and famine [11]. Countries similar Botswana that have already experienced frequent droughts have seen a big number of people abandoning ingather production and moving either to cities or informal settlements [7],[11]. These changes now demand to be better understood, with more than rigorous assessments and building of evidence.

Countries In The Region Are Sick-Prepared To Cope With Climate Change

Although African governments accept fabricated business firm commitments at various forums to suit to climate change, many are nevertheless considered ill-prepared to cope with the negative consequences of climate variability and change [12]. An Action Plan has been prepared [13] covering the following elements: baseline chance and chapters assessments; capacity building; integrated environment and health surveillance; sensation raising and social mobilization; public health oriented environmental direction; scaling up of existing public health interventions; strengthening of partnerships; and promotion of inquiry. All the same, more investment is required if these proposals are to go reality across all countries in SSA.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) initiated National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs) in 2002 in least adult countries to help prioritise adaptation activities. Of the 47 NAPAS submitted to UNFCC as of January 2012, 33 (70%) were from SSA countries and 15 (45%) of these listing wellness as a priority. Table 1 groups wellness sector adaption projects from those SSA countries that listed wellness as a priority; this grouping shows that the most frequently listed projects are malaria command, waterborne disease control, health systems strengthening, improved admission to prophylactic drinking h2o and sanitation, as well as establishment of health surveillance and early on alarm systems for disaster preparedness and response. Nonetheless, a Earth Wellness Organization (WHO) assessment of these interventions concluded that only a few of them were probable to exist constructive [xiv].

In that location are also several multi-land projects that specifically aim to support accommodation within the region; however, a recent review of current and planned adaptation actions [xv] concluded that "None of the regional projects identified has as potent focus on freshwater resource, forestry and man wellness."

When funds are mobilised across all sectors (summarised in Tabular array two]), the gap betwixt funding approved and funding disbursed suggests bottlenecks in program implementation [sixteen]. Although the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) has approved the largest book of adaptation finance for SSA to date, the funding is unevenly distributed across sectors. Table iii shows that but 4% of funds are allocated to the wellness sector [17].

More Urgent Action Is Required To Build Chapters To Respond To Climatic change And Variability

Edifice An Bear witness Base

A review of health sector policy options for health adaptation [eighteen] lists a range of specific actions that the health sector should undertake to reduce cases of disease and deaths attributable to climate change (Box 1). For instance, SSA countries demand to establish the vulnerability of existing populations to climate-sensitive health risks [12] and plan adaptation on the footing of detailed assessments of national vulnerabilities to specific wellness risks [19]. Enquiry infrastructure in many African settings needs to be improved and investments need to exist made to strengthen networks of institutions to conduct cross-disciplinary work between meteorology/climatology, other relevant sectors and health, edifice on what has already started [20]. Enquiry is required to enhance understanding of the health effects of climate change in unlike settings within SSA and to generate and disseminate knowledge on appropriate local adaptation measures.

Box 1. Examples Of Health Sector Policy Options For Adaptation To Climate Change [17]

• Improving, modifying, or expanding health protection systems including surveillance systems for vector- and water-borne diseases and, seasonal forecasting and early alert systems for infectious diseases (due east.yard., epidemic malaria).
• Developing and implementing health forecasting and early warning systems (including emergency incident response plans) for extreme events such equally heat- and overflowing-wellness warning measures.
• Maintaining and improving current environmental health regulatory standards (e.g., water and air quality standards).
• Improving or modifying health systems infrastructure by adapting hospitals and clinics to increased frequency of farthermost conditions events such equally oestrus waves and floods.
• Increasing the capacity of wellness care services and human resource to cope with additional disease brunt associated with extreme weather condition events.
• Preventing or treating the additional cases of diseases due to failure in adaptation upstream.
• Improving the provision of medication to reduce the impact of potential increases in infectious disease transmission.

Keeping A Focus On Wellness And Health Systems

A range of empirical studies demonstrate that advancing broader development goals is a crucial pre-requisite for an effective climate change response [21]. WHO suggests that health-system deportment that tin can also protect populations from the impacts of climate modify should comprehend public wellness interventions, such as control of neglected tropical diseases and provision of main health care, and actions to address the environmental and social determinants of wellness [19]. There is a strong case for prioritising these factors that make up one's mind how well the health system will respond to impacts of climate on health. For example it will exist of import to consider how health facilities and supply bondage may be affected by climate extremes—floods, storms, droughts, and heat waves—and how they can exist made more resilient.

Promoting The Health Benefits Of Low Carbon Strategies

"Health co-benefits" is the term used to draw the ancillary benefits to health every bit a result of climate modify mitigation strategies [22]. There are significant win-win options that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions too every bit contribute to amend health. Many measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in household energy, transport, nutrient, and agriculture and electricity generation have substantial health benefits [23]. To achieve mitigation with a health dividend, policy makers will demand to prioritize increased active transport (walking and cycling) public send systems and reduced private-car use in urban settings, increased uptake of improved cooking stoves in low-income countries, reduced consumption of fauna products in high-consumption settings, and generation of electricity from affordable, clean, "low-carbon" sources, besides as avoidance of highly polluting biomass [24]. These strategies tin can address major health issues such as child mortality from acute respiratory infections, ischaemic eye illness in adults, and other non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and depression.

Increase Funding For Work On Climate change And Wellness

With less than iv% of funds currently allocated to health protection, and given the region's vulnerability, there is a compelling instance for SSA to receive significant funding for additional health adaptation. This should exist targeted at building a stronger evidence base for future policy makers and documenting specific deportment that will enhance adaptation to climatic change together with low carbon strategies that will also benefit health.

Conclusions

There is a need to rapidly build the adaptive capacity in existing health institutions in SSA, and to develop a stronger testify base for local accommodation strategies in vulnerable sectors such as health. Such activity will besides assist the region to successfully access additional accommodation funding that may be available. The health sector needs to engage in partnerships with other organizations and sectors to ensure that health concerns are adequately integrated into the work of national climate change adaptation committees, National Accommodation Programmes of Action, and regional and international adaptation and mitigation strategies. This collaboration should include more recognition of the potential coincident benefits to health from depression carbon development.

Author Contributions

Analyzed the data: NK AH RF. Wrote the kickoff draft of the manuscript: NK. Contributed to the writing of the manuscript: NK AH RF. ICMJE criteria for authorship read and met: NK AH RF. Agree with manuscript results and conclusions: NK AH RF.

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