The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged Nigeria on urgent action against climate-related disease burden in the future. WHO’s head of mission and country representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo, gave the advice during the the Nigeria Health Sector-Wide Joint Annual Review in Abuja, He said “The alarming projection that 21 percent of Nigeria’s disease burden could be climate-related in the near future underscores the urgent need for transformative action.
“Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting disease patterns are already having severe consequences on health systems, livelihoods, and well-being, particularly among vulnerable populations.” Dr. Mulombo highlighted the “Climate Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment Report” as a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to addressing the health impacts of climate change.
He noted that WHO facilitated Nigeria’s first-ever signing of a Health Sector Commitment to a Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Health System in 2021, aligning the country’s health priorities with the Paris Agreement and the COP26 Health Programme. He further stated that WHO, in partnership with the ministry has directly supported the training of over 382 health workers and climate change, health desk officers across all 36+1 states..
