World Health Day- Health For All.
Ministry of Health has expressed worry over increase of diseases that are being caused by the climate change. The Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said this in Lilongwe on 7th April 2022 as the world commemorates the world Health day.
Kandodo said that Malawi has experienced increase cases of Cholera, Malaria, Cancer, Asthma and Heart diseases following the climate change.
“To overcome such incidences the Ministry of Health in collaboration with partners is implementing climate change activities to address climate change effects on health,” she said.
However at the moment the Ministry of Health is dealing with cholera cases that came following the floods in the country.
On that note the Ministry of Health received a donation of Cholera Medical supplies from the World Health Organization-WHO.
Joining the Ministry of Health at the press briefing the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti stated that WHO estimates that more than 13 million annual deaths globally are due to avoidable environmental causes, including the climate crisis.
“The knock-on effect for the burden of heart and lung disease, stroke and cancer, among others, is evident from statistics that point to Non-Communicable Disease (NCDs) representing a growing proportion of Africa’s disease burden,” she said.
To deal with the diseases Moeti has called on the general public to work together in fight against the diseases by making sure that the environment is not damaged.
“This is not only a Government responsibility but civil society, non government organizations and communities need to work together, empowering one another to ensure the continued delivery of essential health services during future extreme events, while containing the growing incidence of environment- and lifestyle-related diseases,” she pointed out.
This year’s theme, Our Planet, Our Health, serves as a timely reminder of the inextricable link between the planet and our health, as the burden of non-communicable and infectious diseases rises alongside growing incidence of
climate-related challenges.
