Isiak Kunle Salako, Minister of State for the Environment, said Nigeria needs to strengthen its health system and workforce in response to the growing challenges posed by climate change.
The Minister stated this at the annual general meeting and academic conference of the National Association of Medical Trainers held in Ogun State recently.
Salako, who presented a paper titled “Building a Resilient Health Workforce: Embracing Climate-Centric Innovation,” said climate change poses an existential threat to humanity and that the country’s health sector must rise to the challenge. expressed a need that it is ready to address. .
“Today, our world, including our country Nigeria, is experiencing more frequent severe and widespread flooding, massive storms, record heat waves, prolonged droughts, severe wildfires, coastal erosion, and hurricanes. And we are facing severe abnormal weather.
“In 2024, these extreme weather events are likely to occur around the world at levels never seen before, and many climate scientists believe they have never seen this level of climate disaster or human suffering.” states that there is no.
“This pervasive climate change trend poses an existential threat to humanity, sustainable development, and the health of the planet, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations.
“System strengthening is needed to mitigate and adapt to the challenges that climate change poses to health systems and the workforce,” he said.
“Changes in disease patterns due to increased incidence of respiratory, heat-related and heart diseases, vector-borne diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease and dengue fever, and the spread of water- and food-borne diseases such as cholera,” the minister said. Apart from gastroenteritis, campylobacter, leptospirosis, and salmonellosis, climate change also directly causes injuries and deaths and is associated with increased violent crime and overall poorer mental health (USEPA, 2024).
