Climate change a health emergency: President
AHEAD of the 29th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, next month, President Mnangagwa has called on all African countries to stand united in coming up with resolutions to deal with the impact of climate change on health.
Addressing delegates at the official opening of the inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC 2024) in Harare yesterday, the President said Africa must be at the forefront of protecting its people, flora and fauna, while advancing its development aspirations and livelihoods.
“Our beloved continent, Africa, is enduring the worst effects of global warming. The land that nourished us for a millennium is now being ravaged by increasingly severe heat, droughts, floods, and cyclones.
“The impacts are profound, costing African economies between 3 and 5 percent of our GDPs. Despite being among the least responsible for emissions causing climatic disturbances, Africa bears both the brunt and cost of climate change. This, coupled with illegal sanctions, particularly for Zimbabwe, is having a far-reaching implication on straining our health system,” he said.
“As we prepare for COP29 and look ahead to COP32, Africa must once again stand united. We must advance our development agenda, framed by our aspirations and driven by the actions of our people. The outcomes of this Conference must play a crucial role in shaping Africa’s future at the intersection of climate and health.”
President Mnangagwa said climate change was not merely an environmental disaster, but a profound public health emergency, which had contributed to the re-emergence of previously under control diseases such as malaria, cholera and diarrhoeal infections.
