By Faridat Salifu
The enduring climate change across the globe is heightening health risks across Nigeria.
The Federal Ministry of Health raised this alarm in an situation assessment released, Wednesday, October 30.
The assessment forecasts a substantial 21 percent increase in the disease burden, with northern states facing the highest risk due to extreme climate vulnerabilities.
Conducted from January to July 2024, the study, sponsored by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) projects a 100 percent rise in heat-related deaths by 2080.
Worst-affected, the assessment says, may be the northern states, especially Kebbi, Zamfara, and Yobe due to rising temperatures, potentially exceeding 3°C, which are expected to escalate cases of vector-borne diseases.
Increased rainfall, the assessment added, may heighten outbreaks of waterborne diseases across the country.
The assessment also indicates that diarrheal deaths in children under 15 could rise to nearly 10 percent of fatalities in that age group due to worsening conditions across the country.
Director of Climate Change and Health at the ministry, Godwin Brooks, emphatically noted that the climate crisis is “set to heighten health risks across all regions of Nigeria,” with coastal areas in the south particularly vulnerable due to rising sea levels and flooding.
The director said this exposure could alter the spread of infectious diseases, placing further strain on Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The findings, he continued, are expected to shape Nigeria’s first Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP), a blueprint for reinforcing healthcare resilience and enhancing readiness for climate-driven health challenges.
Brooks called for urgent government intervention and emphasized the need for community-led adaptation strategies, particularly in high-risk areas.
Considering the findings, the ministry’s urges stronger efforts at raising public awareness on these risks, particularly among women, children, and rural communities.