By Patricia Katto
Introduction
Despite the urgency of the impacts of climate change on human health and health systems, initially there was relatively low attention given to this area. However, over the past decade, as the reality of climate change intensifies and research progresses, the severe health impacts of climate change are now receiving much-needed attention.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) aptly refers to climate change as “a threat multiplier” with consideration to the harm that it is doing to health systems around the world. In Low Income Countries (LICs) where health systems are already under increasing strain, the added effects of climate change have negative impacts. According to the World Bank, 63% of the 60 countries most vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Countries such as Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Niger, Gabon, and Madagascar are identified as being “at particularly high risk”. Urgent action is needed to ensure that those who are contributing the least to climate change do not continue to suffer the most.
The climate health nexus
Climate change impacts human health through a range of pathways. Direct health effects include increased heat-related illnesses, injuries, and fatalities resulting from more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, and wildfires. Ecosystem-mediated health effects arise from disruptions to natural systems and include increased prevalence of vector-borne diseases, reduced food yields leading to undernutrition, and impacts on mental health due to the degradation of culturally or aesthetically significant environments. Indirect health effects encompass health consequences linked to livelihood loss, population displacement, conflict, and other socio-economic disruptions, which can further contribute to malnutrition and mental health challenges, particularly among vulnerable populations. Health systems themselves may also be strained or physically damaged during extreme events like flooding, limiting their capacity to respond to growing health needs, however this tends to be overlooked. Moreover, flood mortality is higher in countries with low income, low human development index, or a high proportion of older people.
Financing the climate health nexus
Despite the clear links between climate change and human health, funding for initiatives that address both remains strikingly low. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2023, “only 2 per cent of adaptation funding and 0.5 per cent of multilateral climate funding was allocated to projects that protect or improve human health.” The Green Climate Fund (GCF) also notes that “Low and middle-income countries require at least USD 11 billion in funding per year this decade to adapt to climate and health impacts and to increase the resilience of health systems.” Therefore, as noted in The 2024 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: facing record-breaking threats from delayed action, “a global transformation of financial systems is required, shifting resources away from the fossil fuelbased economy towards a zero emissions future.” However, this shift should also target disaster risk preparedness and integrated climate-health initiatives.
The GCF is working to close the financing gap at the intersection of climate change and health by supporting vulnerability assessments, national health adaptation planning, and projects with direct and indirect health benefits. GCF is also helping LICs, particularly a number of Sub-saharan African countries, develop long-term climate-health strategies, fostering innovation through global partnerships. GCF is also driving coordination through shared financing to ensure more integrated and impactful action.
E Co. has played a key supporting role to GCF in advancing climate-health financing by supporting the preparation of several initiatives through services such as the development of concept notes, full funding proposals, and feasibility studies. Through this work, E Co. has helped countries and partners translate ideas into actionable, fundable projects. This has ultimately helped strengthen the pipeline of investments that address both climate and health priorities.
Looking ahead
Climate change continues to devastate the world at large causing disruptions to various sectors and health, one of the most critical ones, is no exception. As a result, it is more important than ever that countries who are already facing significant challenges to their healthcare systems, are provided with the support they need to combat climate change and protect the health of their populations. While some progress has been made by the GCF to ensure that these countries are equipped, there is still a long way to go. Nevertheless, E Co. will remain at the forefront of the fight, as we continue to offer our consulting services to ensure that funding reaches the most vulnerable communities.
