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Direct Link to Full 80-Page Report:
MULTIPLE REPORT THEMES IMPACT WOMEN
& GIRLS.
Via Eldis
THE IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
FOR HEALTH IN AFRICA
Authors:
Chimbari,M., J.
Produced by: Arid Lands Information Network (2010)
The interactions between health and climate change are clearly recognised; the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change includes a chapter on health issues
in all its publications. But we still need to better understand all the
possible impacts of climate change on health.
To date, much of the evidence of the health impacts of climate change has
focused on malaria. But the impacts are much wider than this. Climate change
projections for Africa indicate that temperatures will increase by 0.2–0.5°C
per decade, and many African regions will experience more severe droughts. This
will translate to a short growing season for food crops, thus leading to food
shortages. These changes may affect human health directly, as the changing
weather patterns encourage the production of disease vectors and parasites,
such as those causing malaria. Indirect changes will result through impacts on
water availability, air quality, food quality and quantity, ecosystems,
agriculture and economies – all factors that affect people’s health.
This issue of Joto Afrika features articles from different countries, which
highlight ongoing or completed research into climate change and health across
Africa. These articles indicate:
Climate
change is a significant and emerging threat to public health. There is need for
capacity building and implementation of projects to strengthen the health
system response to climate change and to ensure that health is appropriately
considered in decisions made by other sectors such as energy and transport.