Strengthening Climate Change and Health Thought Leadership with Africa in Focus

Climate change poses immense threats to human health and wellbeing.

The sixth assessment report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights significant impacts on physical, physiological, and mental health, with about half the world’s population (3.6 billion people) living in highly susceptible areas.

Projections indicate that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year due to undernutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress.

The 2024/25 goal will be to influence climate change and health policies while strengthening the health sector's capacity for UNFCCC negotiations through capacity building, thought leadership, and technical assistance, starting with Kenya and Malawi.

The Pan Africa Partnership on Climate and Health (PPCH) will address climate change's health impacts through various initiatives, including developing and implementing a curriculum for training health negotiators in collaboration with the Africa Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES).

Key activities include leveraging existing Pan-African regional convenings, refining the Pan- African Common Position on Climate Change and Health, and enhancing coordination between health and environmental sectors in Kenya and Malawi.

Events such as the African Union Multi-stakeholder Annual Event, AMCEN, and New York Climate Week will be instrumental in promoting climate-health integration.