Science Forum South Africa (SFSA)
Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges of our time, with far-reaching implications for various sectors, including public health. Africa, as a continent, is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which threaten the well-being of its populations and place additional burdens on healthcare systems. This event seeks to provide a platform for scientific discussions and insights into the complex relationship between climate change and health in the African context.
In line with the NASAC mandate to provide a credible science advice and amplify the voice of science in key global conversations, NASAC held this dissemination workshop at the Science Forum South Africa (SFSA) on 5th December 2023 on the theme “Climate Change and Health in Africa” anchored on the NASAC report Protecting human health against climate change in Africa. Find the key message here.
The event at SFSA served as a vital opportunity for networking, learning, and contributing to Africa’s critical conversation on climate change and health and also offered an opportunity to disseminate the NASAC’S publications to date in contemporary topics including climate change, disease patterns and other areas including water and agricultural sectors.
It brought together scientists, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to discuss and showcase scientific advancements, innovations with the intention of knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary insights.
The keynote address focused on the objectives, process, and salient findings of NASAC’s publication on “Protecting human health against climate change in Africa “, calling for:
- Advocating for health adaptation now based on existing and projected high climate sensitive diseases burden in lack of functional early warning system Africa and,
- Hence to mainstream health in the NDC through intersectoral collaborations across ministries, and
- for the need to collect more data for research in order to provide evidence-based, timely scientific information for policy formulation and implementation as well as risk communication.
- The importance of partnership in capacity building and addressing climate injustice was also addressed.
The call to action by the NASAC President and the Executive Director outlined the role played by NASAC in advancing science and knowledge in Africa and the importance of taking action against climate change now to avert the health impacts on the vulnerable groups.
Speakers
