The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned that climate change is increasingly driving the spread of infectious diseases across the continent and urged governments to build climate-resilient health systems to counter the growing threat.
Dr Kyeng Mercy of the agency’s Surveillance and Disease Intelligence Unit made the disclosure during the weekly high-level regional press briefing on Thursday.
Mercy said rising temperatures, flooding, and drought are fueling the spread of diseases such as malaria and cholera, as well as vector-borne infections emerging in previously unaffected areas.
She noted that malaria cases are now appearing in highland regions of countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Rwanda, where the disease was historically rare. Flooding and contaminated water sources are increasing cholera outbreak risks, while expanding Aedes mosquito populations are driving the spread of dengue and other vector-borne diseases.
Mercy highlighted Africa CDC’s newly launched climate change and health strategy, designed to help member states anticipate and respond to climate-linked health risks. The plan includes using climate data for early warning systems, strengthening water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, and ensuring vaccine supply chains remain resilient during extreme weather events.
She emphasized that vulnerable communities urgently need support to build climate-resilient infrastructure and improve access to clean water, citing recent cholera hotspots in Southern Africa as clear examples of climate-related health risks.
“Investing in climate-smart health systems is critical. This is not just about responding to emergencies but preventing them before they escalate,” she said.
The warning comes as Africa grapples with overlapping health challenges—including mpox and meningitis—that are increasingly influenced by environmental factors.
Africa CDC called for stronger collaboration among governments, development partners, and civil society to implement strategies that mitigate the impact of climate change on public health across the continent.
