Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health has revealed that growing climate change concerns are having severe impacts on the nation’s health sector.
This was from released findings from the ministry’s first Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment, supported by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Conducted from January to July 2024, the assessment projects a 21 per cent increase in disease burden, with northern states facing the highest risk due to extreme climate vulnerabilities. In an interview on Wednesday in Abuja, the director of climate change and health at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Godwin Brooks revealed that climate change is expected to heighten health risks across all regions of Nigeria.
Brooks noted that states in the north, such as Kebbi, Zamfara and Yobe, are especially vulnerable to climate-related health risks. Southern states are also experiencing escalating risks due to changing weather patterns. He highlighted the potential doubling of heat-related deaths by 2080, as rising temperatures—possibly up to +3°C—are expected to worsen conditions for vector-borne diseases.
“Increased rainfall could lead to more cases of waterborne diseases, with diarrheal deaths among children under 15 projected to contribute nearly 10% of such fatalities,” Brooks explained. Additionally, coastal areas face greater risks of flooding due to rising sea levels, threatening the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of Nigerians.
Brooks said that the findings from the Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) assessment are forming the basis of Nigeria’s first Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP). “This plan will guide strategies to strengthen healthcare resilience and enhance response capacity for evolving climate-related health challenges,” he noted.
As the V&A study concludes, Brooks called for swift government action and stressed the importance of community-driven adaptation measures, especially in high-risk regions. “With increased risks anticipated across the country, Nigeria’s health system must adapt to a ‘new normal’ shaped by climate change,” he stated.
Science Nigeria reports that climate change poses significant health challenges globally, with human activities directly and indirectly impacting health. In Nigeria, the effects are particularly severe due to high vulnerability and limited capacity to adapt. Research has shown that rising temperatures, rainfall fluctuations, sea-level rise and extreme weather contribute to an increased risk of diseases such as meningitis, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders among the elderly, skin cancer, malaria, high blood pressure and overall morbidity.
The assessment underscores the need for government action to raise awareness about climate-related health risks, particularly among vulnerable groups such as women, children and rural communities.
