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The inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC 2024) ended in Zimbabwe with the adoption of a landmark declaration to enhance climate resilience within health systems and address the profound health impacts of climate change on the continent.
Health ministers, scientists, policymakers and other delegates from 51 countries — 34 of them African — adopted and endorsed the Harare Declaration, a blueprint that will guide African countries going forward.
“As a continent on the frontlines of climate change, Africa should no longer be a passive recipient of global solutions, but a proactive architect of its own future systems for better health and wellbeing, shaped by further prioritised role given to scientific, local and traditional knowledge generation, scale-up of innovative solutions, and policy leadership,” reads the declaration that was unveiled by Professor Guelaio Cisse from the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (CSRS), Cote D’ivoire.
The declaration calls for immediate and collaborative action from a wide array of stakeholders — including governments, academic institutions, funding agencies and civil society — to combat the detrimental health effects of climate change and improve the well-being of African populations.
Recognising the disproportionate burden of climate-related health risks faced by African populations, the declaration presents a comprehensive strategy to address these challenges. It is a collective voice outlining high-level priorities and offering recommendations towards equitable strategies that will help build resilience and people-oriented systems for health. It calls on policymakers to prioritise climate change as a public emergency while reinforcing the health sector institutional frameworks for increased ability to protect, capacitate and involve health workers. It emphasises the need to strengthen research and knowledge generation by investing in studies that assess the specific impacts of climate change on health in Africa and identify effective interventions. It also seeks to promote inclusive dialogue between science, policy and communities. The declaration also highlights the importance of improving surveillance and early warning systems to track climate-related health risks, enabling timely and effective responses.
It recommends for the establishment of equitable research partnerships and the reinforcement of capacities of African researchers and calls for increased funding for these programmes.
Additionally, it calls for building climate-resilient health systems by enhancing the capacity of health infrastructures to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change, including through necessary upgrades and workforce training.
The declaration also emphasises the importance of community engagement and participation in climate and health initiatives and recognises the crucial role of local knowledge and traditional practices in building resilience.
The declaration, which aligns with the framework for building climate-resilient and sustainable health systems in the African region newly adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO), was endorsed by health ministers and representatives from countries engaged in the WHO-led Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health Initiative (ATACH) and over 500 participants at CHAC 2024.
“Our region deals with multiple climate-induced emergencies every year. Ensuring health systems resilience is key. I applaud the commitments taken by health policy makers to build climate-resilient health systems that can adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Lul Pout Riek, Regional Director, Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Southern Africa Regional Coordinating Centre also endorsed the declaration. “The Africa CDC proudly endorses the Harare Declaration of the Climate and Health Africa Conference,” he said. “Africa CDC recognises the urgent need for collective action to mitigate the impact of climate change on human health noting that climate change is not just an environmental issue, indeed it is also a health matter.”
Kiros Berhane, the chair of the Department of Biostatistics at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in Ethiopia, said the lesson drawn from the conference was that there is need to work across disciplines, cultures, countries and outside of comfort zones in order to bring climate and health solutions to Africa.
“This is not going to be done just by scientists, it’s going to be teamwork, it’s going to need all stakeholders, both to properly define the questions, but also to implement and intervene and to make it into policy,” Berhane said. “The declaration captures the essence of the conference, but it also acknowledges the multi-sectorality of the problem.”
CHAC 2024 chairperson Fortunate Machingura said the conference has served to debunk the general belief that there is not enough research evidence coming out of Africa. She said 573 research abstracts were submitted for the consideration, of which the organisers had to accommodate just 244 of these for the purpose of the conference.
“One of the biggest critiques within our region is that evidence is scarce, but what we have seen in the past year (of preparing for the conference) is that there is a lot of research that is going on across the continent… we have had nearly 600 abstract submissions of scientific research, which is a reflection of the amount of research work that is happening on the region, but what has been lacking is the convening to engage on that research, with scientists and policymakers having a caucus on what it needs to implement something that speaks to the continent, with enough nuance around African issues, and this is what it (conference) is all about,” she said.
Zimbabwe’s minister of Health, Douglas Mombeshora, who is also the chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Health Ministers, said the conference had served as a crucial stepping stone in preparation for COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. He said all nations need to unite in addressing the adverse effects of climate change.
Officially opening the conference earlier on, Zimbabwe’s president Emmerson Mnangagwa said Africa must not wait for others to act on its behalf in issues to do with climate change and health but must share ideas and make bold decisions that protect its citizenry against the negative impacts of climate change.
“Climate change is not merely an environmental disaster. It is a public health emergency, and I firmly believe the recommendations from this conference will pave the way for a healthier and more sustainable continent, where no one and no place is left behind,” Mnangagwa said.
“This gathering underscores our commitment to addressing the urgent health impacts of climate change, especially here in Africa, where climate-sensitive diseases pose significant risks. Together, we will advance resilient, sustainable strategies that protect the health and future of our people.”
According to WHO, Africa faces an escalating burden of climate-sensitive diseases, with increasing transmission of vector and waterborne illnesses. Recent statistics reveal a 14 per cent rise in malaria transmissions in 2023, potentially putting an additional 147-171 million people at risk by 2030. Additionally, 18 African countries reported cholera outbreaks linked to natural disasters, contributing to a staggering 836,600 cases between January 2023 and March 2024, alongside widespread malnutrition and population displacement.
During CHAC 2024, the WHO Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust — the event’s main funder — hosted a high-level meeting to promote collaboration among health and climate stakeholders. The meeting was an opportunity to evaluate countries implementation of past COP commitments and define a roadmap for climate and health in Africa.
With support from WHO, 29 African countries have joined ATACH, signalling dedication to safeguarding the health and well-being of their population. The WHO-Wellcome Trust side event provided delegates with a platform to discuss actionable strategies for integrating health priorities into global climate frameworks and strengthening inter-ministerial collaboration.
CHAC 2024 was hosted by the Centre for Sexual Health, HIV and AIDS Research (CeSHHAR) Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Zimbabwean Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the WHO Regional Office for Africa, amongst other partners.
