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Diarrhoea,
respiratory infections and malaria account for 60 per cent
of
known environmental health impacts in Africa. Photo: UNEP
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Unless Africa’s leaders prioritize
environmental and health issues, and prevent the degradation of
health-promoting food and medicinal plants, people’s health and productivity
will continue to suffer, warns a new report
released today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“Africa’s population is growing at the
fastest rate in the world and its economy is expanding at a commensurate rate,
yet not enough focus has been placed on the role environmental concerns play in
ensuring the well-being of this expanding, dynamic continent’s citizens,” said
UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
Environmental risks contribute to 28
per cent of Africa’s diseases, according to the African Environment Outlook-3
(AEO-3). Diarrhoea, respiratory infections and malaria account for 60 per cent
of known environmental health impacts in Africa.
Commissioned by the African
Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), a permanent forum that meets
every two years, the report highlights emerging issues and trends related to
the environment, and proposes policy changes at the national, regional and
global levels.
Among its finding, the air pollutant
‘particulate matter’ is a threat in poor rural areas, where little access to
cleaner stoves and fuels causes significant health impacts through indoor
pollution. Air pollution throughout the continent can be up to 30 times higher
than World Health Organization (WHO)
limits.
Health-related risks in Africa come
from agrochemicals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), chemical stockpiles,
e-waste and petroleum waste, according to the report.
In Côte d’Ivoire, for example, the
National Centre for Agronomical Research in Abidjan estimates that 65 per cent
of the illnesses suffered by market gardeners, cotton growers, mango producers
and consumers are due to pesticides.
The report also spotlights a lack of
capacity to deal with the growing effects of climate change; inadequate water,
sanitation and hygiene – in 2010, only 60 per cent of the sub-Saharan Africa
population had access to safe water; and poor waste disposal practices.
Other issues highlighted include the
negative impact of degradation of health-promoting goods and services such as
food and medicinal plants made possible by land and marine biodiversity. For
example, 80 per cent of Africa’s rural population depends on traditional
medicines harvested from nature.
Climate change and variability impact
human health because of Africa’s underdeveloped capacity to cope with the
negative impacts. The report issued today provides policy changes that include
incorporating climate-related scientific findings into decision making;
building adaptive capacity; and strengthening early warning systems,
preparedness and response.
The report “gives policy-makers a
clear pathway to a sustainable and healthy future,” Mr. Steiner said.
“Africa is moving into a new phase
that could see the continent become a major player in the transition to a
global inclusive Green Economy, but to do that it needs a healthy population
with guaranteed access to well-managed natural resources,” he added.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) recently signed an
agreement with the East African Development Bank to increase participation in
clean development projects. The agreement establishes a regional collaboration
centre in Kampala, Uganda, that will support the identification of projects
under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), provide assistance for their
design, and offer opportunities to reduce transaction costs.
According to UNFCCC, there are more
than 6,000 projects already registered in 83 developing countries.
However, today’s report cautions that
in addition to new projects, there are already many good policies to address
environmental change on the books; the challenge lies in their implementation.
“These policies must be strongly
implemented to have an impact, and enforcement mechanisms should be put in
place and strengthened to reduce the negative consequences,” said Terezya
Huvisa, Minister of State - Environment of Tanzania and President of AMCEN.
“If the recommendations in AEO-3 are
followed, our citizens can look forward to healthier, and ultimately more
productive, lives.”
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