By Juliet Makwama
There is need for policy makers in the global south to work at increasing ministerial coordination towards climate action so that mitigation and adaptation efforts can align with health planning, in view of the increased threat of climate change on health, Lusaka Apex Medical University Head of Public Health Department and Lecturer Mweetwa Mudenda has advised.
Change in seasons could cause either earlier or prolonged disease outbreaks while extreme weather events such as flooding could worsen the possibility of water borne diseases such as cholera, and high temperatures could accelerate pathogen life cycles among other things.
Speaking during a cross border cafe organised by the Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) of Kenya and Media Science Cafe (MESICA) of Zambia, Dr Mudenda cited Kenya where malaria has recently been spreading to the highlands due to high temperatures while dengue cases have been reported in areas that did not previously record the disease in Asia and South America.
Dr Mudenda noted that climate change reshapes disease distribution while extending transmission, a situation that challenges public health systems hence the need for policy makers to embed health outcomes into climate strategies in various sectors which include energy, transport, food and nature.
And Dr Mudenda said communities also need to adopt resilient food production systems that enhance environmental conservation and support leaderships in land and eco systems management.
Meanwhile, Dr Mudenda advised that health professionals need to be actively involved in climate policy designs aimed at encouraging clean cooking, improving air quality and water security to enhance public health.
Dr Mudenda emphasised that climate change is currently a public health emergency driving heat stress, food and water insecurity as well as climate sensitive infectious diseases but that there are solutions to the challenge.
He expressed concern that though there are solutions being applied to ensure resilient health systems and safer cities to deliver immediate health benefits, the rate of implementation is slow.
He said to improve the health sector, there is need to integrate climate risks into surveillance and emergency planning.
He also urged the media to consistently frame climate as a health story while countering misinformation and highlighting local impacts and solutions.
And speaking during the same cafe, Harry Simuntala from the Latu Human Rights Foundation noted that climate shocks are already intensifying HIV vulnerability with issues of Anti-Retroviral supply chains being disrupted as a result displacements during flooding having already been reported before.
Mr Simuntala said there is need to integrate health and gender justice in Nationally Determined Contributions NDCs and also have a strong accountability mechanism to monitor national climate health committements.
He said there is need to shift from talking to doing so that commitments materialise into real measurable change, and that the civil society will continue to push for accountability and meaningful protection for people in the front lines of climate risks.
