Original Research

Climate adaptation in the public health sector in Africa: Evidence from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change National Communications

Godwell Nhamo, Shepherd Muchuru
Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies | Vol 11, No 1 | a644 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jamba.v11i1.644 | © 2019 Godwell Nhamo, Shepherd Muchuru | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 22 March 2018 | Published: 09 April 2019

About the author(s)

Godwell Nhamo, Institute for Corporate Citizenship, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Shepherd Muchuru, Institute for Corporate Citizenship, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Climate change has potential to affect human health in various ways. Extreme temperatures and cold both result in deaths, while the changing habitats favouring the breeding of vectors could result in the spread of diseases such as malaria, cholera and typhus. This article reviews climate change adaptation measures in the African public health sector. The evidence is drawn from National Communications of 21 countries as submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This article combines the literature review and grounded theory approaches with data obtained from the UNFCCC National Communications. Among key adaptation measures emerging from the work are weather-based forecasting and early warning systems, public education and awareness, putting in place appropriate policies, surveillance, research and monitoring as well as improving public health infrastructure and technology. The study recommends that African nations should commit to address health impacts of climate change through the implementation of appropriate adaptation measures.

Keywords

Africa; adaptation; climate change; health; sustainable; UNFCCC

Metrics

Total abstract views: 6301
Total article views: 6043

 

Crossref Citations

1. Yaşam Bilimleri Profesyonellerinin İklim Değişikliğinin Sağlık Etkileri Konusunda Eğitim İhtiyaçları Var Mı?
Dicle Seher AKAY, Gülçin AKCA, Ali Derya ATİK, Figen ERKOÇ
The Journal of International Lingual Social and Educational Sciences  vol: 6  issue: 1  first page: 141  year: 2020  
doi: 10.34137/jilses.684622

2. Effective community engagement in one health research in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
Sidney Sangong, Farrukh Ishaque Saah, Luchuo Engelbert Bain
One Health Outlook  vol: 7  issue: 1  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1186/s42522-024-00126-4

3. Engaging the health sector in climate-resilient WASH development
Hannah Marcus
Journal of Water and Health  vol: 21  issue: 7  first page: 851  year: 2023  
doi: 10.2166/wh.2023.207

4. A High-Level Structured Methodology for Development of AI Systems in Africa
Evans Woherem, Joshua Odeyemi
Internet of Things and Cloud Computing  vol: 12  issue: 3  first page: 40  year: 2024  
doi: 10.11648/j.iotcc.20241203.11

5. Ortaokul Öğrencilerine Yönelik İklim ve İklim Değişikliği Başarı Testinin Geliştirilmesi
Kevser ARSLAN, Asli GÖRGÜLÜ ARI
Türkiye Eğitim Dergisi  vol: 8  issue: 2  first page: 361  year: 2023  
doi: 10.54979/turkegitimdergisi.1380932

6. The health system’s response strategies to the effects of climate change extreme weather events in Malawi: “A policy analysis”
Chancy Skenard Chimatiro, Solange Mianda, Martina Lembani
Discover Public Health  vol: 22  issue: 1  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1186/s12982-025-01261-7

7. Climate Change and Healthscapes: Toward a Postcolonial Critique for Planetary Well-being
Efua Prah, Steven Bland
South African Review of Sociology  vol: 54  issue: 4  first page: 448  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1080/21528586.2024.2417172

8. Economic vulnerability to tropical storms on the southeastern coast of Africa
Ernest L. Molua, Robert O. Mendelsohn, Ajapnwa Akamin
Jàmbá Journal of Disaster Risk Studies  vol: 12  issue: 1  year: 2020  
doi: 10.4102/jamba.v12i1.676

9. Institutional overlap and climate governance in Africa: a comparative analysis of policy coherence between SADC and EAC
Jani Grey Kasunda
Climate Policy  first page: 1  year: 2026  
doi: 10.1080/14693062.2026.2623366

10. A scoping review of climate resilient health system strategies in low-resource settings
Sonja L. Myhre, Katrine B. Frønsdal, Heather M.R. Ames, Eleni Papadopoulou
Public Health  vol: 249  first page: 106026  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2025.106026

11. Health systems response to climate change adaptation: a scoping review of global evidence
Edward Wilson Ansah, Mustapha Amoadu, Paul Obeng, Jacob Owusu Sarfo
BMC Public Health  vol: 24  issue: 1  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-19459-w

12. Strengthening Africa’s Sustainable Development Goal Agenda: Exploring Health, Climate, and Economic Synergies Through Causal Pathways
Isaac Adjei Mensah, Wenxin Wang, Mohammed Musah, Samuel Atingabili, Kwadwo Boateng Prempeh, Thomas Appiah, Mu Qiao
Sustainable Development  year: 2026  
doi: 10.1002/sd.70824

13. Precipitation variability and risk of infectious disease in children under 5 years for 32 countries: a global analysis using Demographic and Health Survey data
Anna Dimitrova, Sara McElroy, Morgan Levy, Alexander Gershunov, Tarik Benmarhnia
The Lancet Planetary Health  vol: 6  issue: 2  first page: e147  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00325-9

14. Effects of Climate Change on Health and Health Systems: A Systematic Review of Preparedness, Resilience, and Challenges
Vasileios Gkouliaveras, Stavros Kalogiannidis, Dimitrios Kalfas, Stamatis Kontsas
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health  vol: 22  issue: 2  first page: 232  year: 2025  
doi: 10.3390/ijerph22020232

15. A story of (in)coherence: climate adaptation for health in South African policies
Amanda V Quintana, Susannah H Mayhew, Sari Kovats, Lucy Gilson
Health Policy and Planning  vol: 39  issue: 4  first page: 400  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1093/heapol/czae011

16. Climate change and emergency care in Africa: A scoping review
Elzarie Theron, Corey B Bills, Emilie J Calvello Hynes, Willem Stassen, Caitlin Rublee
African Journal of Emergency Medicine  vol: 12  issue: 2  first page: 121  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1016/j.afjem.2022.02.003