The Permanent Secretary, Health, Mr. Abdullaziz Mashi Abdullahi has said that health care providers should proffer desirable solutions on Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change to protect human life and dignity.
The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by Mr. Mfom Bassey, disclosed this during a one-week workshop organised by the Public Health Department for its staff across the nation on Climate Change with the theme ‘’Training and Sensitisation of Health Care Workers from State Ministries of Health on Climate Change, Air Pollution, Biodiversity and the Environment”, held at Statement Hotels, Abuja, recently.
Mr. Bassey stated that the United Nation Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) expects that the consequence of the climate will bring about an increase in malnutrition and diseases such as water borne, vector borne, food borne and many other diseases.
He disclosed that the effects of climate change such as floods, storms, heat waves and other devastating events are on the increase and is gearing towards air pollution, loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation.
Mr Mfon Bassey noted that the sensitisation program would go a long way in preparing the health care workers to contribute in resolving most of the challenges faced, as many diseases would spring up as the atmosphere heats up.
Speaking, the National Consultant, Public Health and Environment, World Health Organisation (WHO) Nigeria, Dr. Edwin Isotu Edeh stated that WHO, classified climate change as one of the greatest health care tendency of the century.
According to Dr.Edeh, polity and air pollution is a very important issue and is the single largest environmental health risk. He stated that the combination of air polity, air pollution, climate change and poor sanitation contribute to 29% of the global burden of disease in the country and needs to be addressed.
He commended the Ministry of Health for organising the workshop addressed that it would prepare the health sector to adapt to issues of climate. Dr. Isotu Edeh noted that the health sector is taking the fore front in climate change and it will help to strengthen the synergy between the Ministries of Health, Environment and Agriculture to drive the world health agenda in line with the Libreville declaration of 2008 which brings the health and environmental sectors to sign at the regional level in Africa.
He pointed out that Ministry of Health is bigger than environmental sector while health sector is bigger than the Ministry of Health.
Enefaa Bob-Manuel
Head (Media & Public Relations)
