Almost 7 out of every 10 cities in the world, or 68.8 per cent, are worried about the increase in climate-sensitive infectious diseases such as dengue and malaria, a report published September 26, 2024, disclosed.

The report is a component of Urban Pulse, a joint initiative by Yale University and the Resilient Cities Network, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, aimed at tackling issues related to climate, health and equity, especially in low- and middle-income nations.

It is based on a survey of 191 respondents in 118 cities in 52 countries from nearly every region in the world (February-April 2024).

Despite the many climate and health concerns expressed by respondents, cities are only moderately ready to address these challenges.

The survey noticed that only 42 per cent cities were ready to address climate and health challenges.

North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Europe and the Middle East, exhibit readiness levels above the average, whereas Asia-Pacific and Africa show readiness levels below the average.

The report indicated that over 25 per cent of cities shared details on climate and health initiatives. In Lusaka, Zambia, a comprehensive cholera vaccination programme has been put into effect.

Cities acknowledged the significance of data infrastructure and surveillance in addressing climate and health challenges. A participant from Wakiso, Uganda, emphasised the necessity of continuous community needs evaluations to enhance climate and health resilience.

According to the report, 60 per cent of cities have a City Resilience Plan or other planning tools / documents that address climate threats; however, of these, only 22.9 per cent have plans that explicitly address health.

These are most often found in large cities, those in high and upper-middle income countries, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, and North America.

More than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities, with this proportion set to increase to 70 per cent by 2050.

Rapid urbanisation intensifies climate emergency, with cities contributing 75 per cent of global emissions, while often facing the most severe climate impacts.

According to the report, proactive action is needed to make cities more resilient to climate change and capable of protecting community health.

Recently, several African countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Chad, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo have reported outbreaks of dengue fever — the fastest contagious infectious disease.

Climate change also triggered cholera outbreaks in several countries in Africa. From January 2023 to January 2024, 19 African countries have reported cholera outbreaks that caused 252,934 cases and 4,187 deaths.

Kenya, similar to many other areas, is significantly impacted by vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever and Rift Valley fever. It is experiencing the direct effects of climate change on health outcomes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that the direct damage costs of climate change to health are expected to range from $2-4 billion per year by 2030, disproportionately affecting developing countries with weaker health systems.

Climate action focused on health is significantly underfunded, receiving just 6 per cent of adaptation funding and a mere 0.5 per cent of multilateral climate funding for projects aimed at safeguarding or enhancing human health.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimated that low and middle-income countries require at least $11 billion in funding per year this decade to adapt to climate and health impacts and to increase the resilience of health systems.

Although there is a significant need, COP28 only allocated $1 billion for climate and health, highlighting a shortfall of at least $10 billion annually in the necessary funding to aid countries in addressing challenges at the intersection of climate, health, and equity.

The report outlined several crucial recommendations for cities and funders, providing a clear plan for immediate action. These suggestions stressed the importance of cities, incorporating health into their climate resilience plans and urged funders to allocate resources to those most vulnerable.

The findings underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration, resilient infrastructure investment and scaling best practices through city-to-city knowledge exchanges.

Simply Put: Pandemic planet