ADDIS ABABA, 16 November 2015 | Climate change is threatening to exacerbate health problems in Ethiopia, the World Health Organization warns in a new Climate and Health Country Profile 2015, published today. Increased temperatures, intense heatwaves, more extreme rainfall, floods and landslides, are expected to intensify existing challenges of communicable diseases, food insecurity and poverty unless timely action is taken.

“Our planet is losing its capacity to sustain human life in good health,” said WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. “The best defence is the same one that will protect us from outbreaks of infectious disease, and the mounting burden of non-communicable disease: strong, flexible, and resilient health systems.”

WHO, in partnership with the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and a range of partners, worked with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health to develop the country’s profile, which provides evidence on the links between climate change and health as well as the opportunities Ethiopia could take to improve health while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

“The Climate and Health Country Profile for Ethiopia is an important document as it informs policy makers, implementers and partners on the current status of the country, and empowers them to protect health from the impacts of climate change,” said Dr Paul Mainuka, acting WHO Representative in Ethiopia. 

Ethiopia’s country profile is one of the first 15 profiles WHO is releasing for ministers of health and other decision-makers from around to world to support an effective and health-promoting treaty at the UNFCCC negotiations in Paris in December 2015.

Key climate change implications for health in Ethiopia

There is now a very large body of evidence that human actions, mainly the burning of fossil fuels, have caused significant changes in the climate system. 

Global emissions of climate pollutants, including carbon dioxide and black carbon, are driving climate change. If current rates of emissions continue, mean annual temperature is projected to rise by about 4.8°C from 1990-2100. However, if they can be reduced through actions such as shifting to cleaner fuels for electricity generation and household energy, and less polluting transport systems, the temperature rise could be limited to about 1.2°C.

Climate change is expected to increase heatwaves, droughts, flooding, and sea levels around the world, and also cause important health risks in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is vulnerable to many of the effects of climate change, including increases in average temperature and changes in precipitation. This threatens health, livelihoods and the progress that Ethiopia has made in recent years.

In Ethiopia, under a high emissions scenario, diarrhoeal deaths attributable to climate change in children under 15 years old is projected to be about 9.6% of the estimated 42,000 diarrhoeal deaths projected by 2050. Although diarrhoeal deaths are projected to decline to about 15,500 towards 2070, the proportion of deaths attributable to climate change is projected to rise to approximately 14.1%.

Under a high emission scenario, it is projected that by 2030, about 248,000 additional people may be at risk of river floods annually due to climate change in Ethiopia and 178,000 due to socio-economic change above the estimated 154,000 annual affected population in 2010.

Key Actions to take in Ethiopia

Ethiopia was the first country to submit its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution to the UNFCCC and has strong plans to develop a green economy. While the Ethiopian Government is already taking substantial initiatives to implement health adaptation programmes and build technical capacity, the country profile identifies additional opportunities for actions. 

Ethiopia has conducted a health-climate change vulnerability assessment, developed a strategic framework for climate change and health, and has drafted a national adaptation plan to mitigate the impact of climate change on health. 

Additionally, Ethiopia has implemented action to build institutional and technical capacity on climate change and health. The country is currently implementing projects on health adaptation to climate change. Country-reported data indicate that there are further opportunities for action in adaptation; for instance implementing activities to increase climate resilience of infrastructure, including health infrastructure, and estimating costs to strengthen health resilience to climate change. 

Note to Editors:

The Climate and Health Country Profiles are coordinated by WHO with the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, funded and supported by the Welcome Trust, and produced with leading experts at the University of East Anglia, CDP, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the World Meteorological Organization and the World Bank.

Country profile available at:
http://www.who.int/globalchange/resources/country-profile/en/

Support WHO’s Call to Action to protect health from climate change:
http://www.who.int/globalchange/global-campaign/en/