Minister of Health Khumbize Chiponda has called for multisectoral collaboration in reducing the effects of climate change to minimise negative health outcomes. 

Chiponda was speaking in Lilongwe today during events making World Health Day.

She said as a result of climate change, Malawi has experienced increased cases of Cholera, Malaria, Cancer, Asthma and Heart disease which calls for urgent actions to keep humans and the country healthy as well as foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being.

She said this year’s theme, “Our Planet, Our Health” focuses on how the polluted planet has affected humans, especially adolescents and women.

Said Chiponda: “The issue of polluted environment is one of the major public health concerns. Of late we have experienced heatwaves, extreme coldness, drought, and Tropical cyclones of Ana and Gombe.

“These extreme weather conditions have caused injuries, flooding, damaged water and sanitation facilities, houses, health facilities and disrupted electricity supply.”

World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti urgent governments to urgently initiate adaptation and mitigation actions adding that the growing incidence of climate-related challenges has exacerbated the burden of non-communicable (NCDs) and infectious diseases.

WHO estimates that more than 13 million annual deaths globally are due to avoidable environmental causes, including the climate crisis.

“The knock-on effect for the burden of heart and lung disease, stroke and cancer, among others, is evident from statistics that point to NCDs representing a growing proportion of Africa’s disease burden,” she said.

In the African Region, NCDs are set to overtake communicable diseases, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional conditions combined, to become the leading cause of death by 2030.  

She said governments, civil society, non-government organizations and communities need to work together, empowering one another to ensure the continued delivery of essential health services during future extreme events, while containing the growing incidence of the environment- and lifestyle-related diseases.

“We cannot afford to lose sight of the fundamental truth that the climate crisis, the single biggest threat facing humanity today, is also very much a health crisis,” said Moeti.

Chiponda hailed development partners such as WHO for their support in the health sector and also support interventions that are aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change. 

World Health Day has been observed annually on 7 April, since 1950, to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

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