A Transdisciplinary Approach to Address Climate Change Adaptation for Human Health and Well-Being in Africa

Caradee Yael Wright, Candice Eleanor Moore, Matthew Chersich, Rebecca Hester, Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle, Guy Kakumbi Mbayo, Charles Ndika Akong and Colin D. Butler
Additional contact information
Caradee Yael Wright: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, 1 Soutpansberg Road, 0001 Pretoria, South Africa
Candice Eleanor Moore: School of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 4041 Durban, South Africa
Matthew Chersich: Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Klein Street, 2001 Johannesburg, South Africa
Rebecca Hester: Virginia Tech, Department of Science, Technology, and Society, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle: Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University, 3800 Clayton, Australia
Guy Kakumbi Mbayo: World Health Organization, African Regional Office, P.O. Box 06, Brazzaville, Congo
Charles Ndika Akong: World Health Organization, African Regional Office, P.O. Box 06, Brazzaville, Congo
Colin D. Butler: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, 2600 Canberra, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-9

Abstract: The health sector response to dealing with the impacts of climate change on human health, whether mitigative or adaptive, is influenced by multiple factors and necessitates creative approaches drawing on resources across multiple sectors. This short communication presents the context in which adaptation to protect human health has been addressed to date and argues for a holistic, transdisciplinary, multisectoral and systems approach going forward. Such a novel health-climate approach requires broad thinking regarding geographies, ecologies and socio-economic policies, and demands that one prioritises services for vulnerable populations at higher risk. Actions to engage more sectors and systems in comprehensive health-climate governance are identified. Much like the World Health Organization’s ‘Health in All Policies’ approach, one should think health governance and climate change together in a transnational framework as a matter not only of health promotion and disease prevention, but of population security. In an African context, there is a need for continued cross-border efforts, through partnerships, blending climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and long-term international financing, to contribute towards meeting sustainable development imperatives.

Keywords: climate change policy; disaster risk; early warning systems; environmental health; health governance; healthcare; sustainable development; transnationality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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