AFRICA @COP30: AGN ADVANCES ADAPTATION FOR HEALTH

Amid rising global temperatures and intensifying climate impacts, United Nations environment Programme (UNEP)’s Adaptation Gap Report, 2025 titled, Running on Empty finds that a yawning gap in adaptation finance for developing countries is putting lives, livelihoods and entire economies at risk.

The report updates the cost of adaptation finance needed in developing countries, putting it at US$310 billion per year in 2035, when based on modelled costs. When based on extrapolated needs expressed in Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans, this figure rises to US$365 billion a year. Meanwhile, international public adaptation finance flows to developing countries were US$26 billion in 2023: down from US$28 billion the previous year. This makes adaptation financing needs in developing countries 12 to 14 times as much as current flows.

One of the sectors struggling to cope with increasing climate impacts in Africa is health—the sector is on the frontlines of the climate crisis. According to available data, 56% of health emergencies in the last two decades were climate-linked. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting rainfall patterns are worsening health risks, increasing disease burden, and straining fragile healthcare systems in Africa. The effects vary across the continent, with different countries facing distinct climate-health challenges.

Shifting climate patterns are expanding the range of vector-borne diseases, particularly malaria. Water scarcity and food insecurity are rampant due to prolonged droughts and declining water availability are forcing many communities in Africa to rely on unsafe drinking water, increasing disease risks. Food insecurity is worsening due to declining agricultural productivity and extreme weather, resulting in increased malnutrition rates, particularly among children under five.

Health is thus not only a casualty of climate inaction but also a powerful driver of ambition that could unite global efforts across the UNFCCC to achieve just, equitable, and sustainable outcomes.

As Africa campaigns and advances the climate and health agenda, AGN Lead Coordinator Dr. Ama Essel shares insights on the state of play of negotiations in relation to health, vis-à-vis, importance of adaptation.