WHO urges African nations to unite health and climate action

Dr. Jeremiah Mushosho - Africa regional team lead, climate, health and environment at the World Health Organisation during the Pan -African Conference on Environment, Climate Change and Health in Nairobi/HANDOUT

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on African nations to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration in addressing the growing challenges at the intersection of climate change and health.

Speaking at the Pan-African Conference on Environment, Climate Change and Health in Nairobi, Dr. Jeremiah Mushosho, WHO Africa’s Regional Team Lead for Climate, Health and Environment, urged countries to align and jointly implement policies across sectors to enhance their collective impact.

“There is need for urgent and united action to place health at the heart of climate policy and implementation,” Mushosho said.

“We can no longer wait for perfect science before acting. Every flood, every drought, every outbreak shows that the human cost of inaction is too high. Health must become the face of climate ambition.”

Mushosho warned that climate change is already eroding the foundations of health across Africa — including clean air, safe water, food security and shelter.

He cited increasing heatwaves, droughts and floods as factors intensifying malnutrition, spreading vector-borne diseases, and displacing communities.

“Although Africa contributes less than four percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it faces the most severe health consequences,” he noted.

“For rural communities dependent on natural resources, the links between environment, climate and health are inseparable. When the soil erodes, nutrition declines. When rivers dry, health services suffer.”

The WHO official also urged African leaders to speak with one unified voice ahead of COP30, stressing that the continent remains among the most disadvantaged regions despite being one of the most active in global climate-health initiatives.

Currently, 31 African countries are part of the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate Change (ATACH) — a WHO-led platform that promotes the integration of health in climate action — compared to 101 globally, signaling the continent’s growing commitment.

During the conference, Prof. Brama Kone, Technical Officer for Climate Change and Health at WHO Africa, presented evidence demonstrating how climate change is worsening health outcomes across the continent.

“Climate change is already reversing progress toward ending disease in Africa,” Prof. Kone said.

“It’s impacts threaten to derail efforts to eliminate malaria, cholera and other epidemics. Unless urgent action is taken, climate pressures will push health systems beyond their limits.”

He underscored the importance of building climate-resilient health systems and integrating health considerations into climate adaptation strategies as essential steps toward achieving universal health coverage and sustainable development.

The conference brought together policymakers, health experts, and environmental leaders from across the continent, all united by a shared recognition that the health of Africa’s people and its planet are inseparable — and that urgent, coordinated action is the only path forward.