Context: The inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC 2024) concluded in Zimbabwe with the adoption of the Harare Declaration, a commitment to addressing the adverse health impacts of climate change on African populations.
Objective
The Harare Declaration aims to combat the harmful effects of climate change (CC) on public health and to improve the well-being of African communities. The declaration underscores the urgent need to integrate climate change considerations into health policies and actions to safeguard human health across the continent.
Focus Areas of the Harare Declaration
- Prioritize Climate Change as a Public Emergency:
- Recognizing the profound and escalating health risks posed by climate change, the declaration emphasizes the importance of treating climate change as a public health emergency. This calls for immediate action and a unified response to mitigate its impacts.
- Promote Inclusive Community Dialogue:
- The declaration advocates for inclusive community dialogue to engage all sectors of society in addressing the health challenges related to climate change. This involves raising awareness and building collective action among governments, civil society, and local communities.
- Invest in Health Impact Assessments:
- The declaration calls for investment in studies that assess the impacts of climate change on health across Africa. Such research is critical for identifying effective interventions that can help mitigate health risks and improve resilience.
- Improve Early Warning Systems:
- The declaration stresses the need to enhance early warning systems that can track climate-related health risks, such as heatwaves, floods, or outbreaks of climate-sensitive diseases. These systems would enable more effective and timely responses to protect vulnerable populations.
- Build Climate-Resilient Health Systems:
- A key goal is to build climate-resilient health systems, which means strengthening health infrastructures to withstand and adapt to the impacts of climate change. This includes improving healthcare facilities and ensuring they have the capacity to deal with climate-related health challenges.