The Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Kunle Salako says Nigeria needs to strengthen its health system and workforce as a response to the growing challenges posed by climate change.
The minister stated this at the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the National Association of Resident Doctors held in Ogun State recently.
Salako who presented a paper with the title, “Building a Resilient Health Workforce: Embracing Climate-centric Innovations, stated that the climate change is posing an existential threat to humanity and expressed the need for the nation’s health sector to the prepared to tackle the challenges.
“Today, our world including our country Nigeria is faced with more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as severe and widespread flooding, large storms, recording breaking heat waves, long droughts, severe wildfire, coastal erosion, hurricanes and so on
“In 2024, these weather extremes appear to be occurring across the world at a level never seen before with many climate scientists saying they cannot remember ever seeing such a level of climate disasters and human suffering.
“This prevailing trajectory of climate change is posing an existential threat to humanity, sustainable development, and planetary health, affecting the vulnerable groups disproportionately.
“The challenges posed to the health system and workforce by climate change require the strengthening of the system to mitigate and adapt,” he said.
The minister noted that “apart from shifting disease patterns with an increase incidence of respiratory diseases, heat-related illnesses, heart diseases and the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria, Lyme, and dengue, water and food-related illnesses like cholera, gastroenteritis, campylobacter, leptospirosis and salmonellosis, climate change is also directly causing injuries and deaths and has been linked to increases in violent crime and overall poor mental health (USEPA, 2024)”.
