Why climate change increases healthcare demands in Nigeria — News — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

The Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, has said that more intense extreme weather, widespread flooding, large storms, heat waves, long droughts, wildfires, coastal erosion, and hurricanes, as a result of climate change, have increased demands for healthcare in Nigeria.

Salako asserted this while presenting a paper titled ‘Building a Resilient Health Workforce: Embracing Climate-Centric Innovations’ at the Scientific Conference organized by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He explained, “Using a combination of climate models, space-based observations, and historical records from as far back as the 1800s, scientists have been able to conclusively link the increasing extreme weather events to climate change, occasioned by global warming.

“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 levels of climate disasters and human suffering.”

“The prevailing trajectory of climate change is posing an existential threat to humanity, sustainable development, and planetary health, and it is affecting vulnerable groups. Based on the overall health costs of climate change, from $2 billion–$4 billion, it is projected to reach $54 trillion for a 1.5°C increase and $69 trillion for a 2°C increase by 2100.”

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According to Salako, the challenges posed to the health system and workforce by climate change will require strengthening the system to mitigate and adapt. Apart from shifting disease patterns with increased incidence of heat-related illnesses, climate change is directly causing injuries and deaths and has been linked to increases in violent crimes.

Explaining further, he stressed that doctors are no doubt indispensable, as are modern healthcare workers made up of health professionals like nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, health associate professionals, and personal care workers, who are leaving the country for greener pastures.

He said, “More than 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from the health sector are due to medical waste, the production/manufacturing of medical products, and employees commuting to and from work—areas often overlooked by the health system.

“Over 400 million people in Nigeria are projected to be at risk of malaria by 2070, diarrhoea disease in children under 15 attributable to climate change is projected to be almost 10% by 2030, and heat-related deaths in the elderly, 65 years and above, are projected to increase to about 80 per 100,000 annually by 2080 compared to the baseline of 3 as of 1990.”