Africa puts health at the heart of climate talks
President William Ruto and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are shown how Ethiopian coffee is brewed during the opening session of the Second Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
What you need to know:
- Health impacts of climate change already evident across the continent include malaria spreading into highland regions where it was once rare and floods in East Africa displacing thousands and triggering cholera outbreaks.
- Others are prolonged droughts in the Horn of Africa worsening child malnutrition, and heatwaves straining already fragile health systems.
Africa has launched a bold initiative aimed at ensuring that the health of its people is prioritised in global climate negotiations.
The announcement was made on September 9 during the Second Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Amref Health Africa, Amref International University, and the African Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES) with support from the Wellcome Trust unveiled the Climate Change and Health Negotiators' Curriculum—the first of its kind in the world.
It is designed to provide African negotiators with the technical expertise, advocacy tools and evidence needed to prioritise health in climate negotiations and financing frameworks.
“The science is there, but how we frame and communicate it is crucial. This curriculum is timely; it will empower Africa to negotiate from a strong, unified position,” said Dr Ama Essel, AGNES lead coordinator on climate and health.
The curriculum represents a significant shift in Africa's role in climate diplomacy, transforming the continent's approach from a reactive stance to an active one, where it drives conversations that directly impact the lives of its people.
The initiative is particularly relevant given the clear health impacts of climate change already evident across the continent such as malaria spreading into highland regions where it was once rare, floods in East Africa displacing thousands and triggering cholera outbreaks, prolonged droughts in the Horn of Africa worsening child malnutrition, and heatwaves straining already fragile health systems.
Meanwhile, hospitals and clinics are facing staff shortages, inadequate funding, and weak infrastructure.
Despite these pressing challenges, health has seldom been a priority in climate negotiations or financing agreements, which have largely focused on emissions, energy, and technology. This has resulted in the most urgent concern for Africa—the protection of human lives—often being overlooked.
The new curriculum aims to close this gap by providing negotiators with scientific evidence linking climate impacts to increased disease and mortality rates. It equips them with the advocacy tools they need to demand financing that strengthens health systems. The curriculum also trains negotiators in communication strategies that present health as the most relatable human cost of climate change.
By doing so, the curriculum enables negotiators to advocate for climate action that addresses environmental issues and saves African lives.
If implemented effectively, the curriculum could secure funding for hospitals and clinics, particularly in areas susceptible to climate change. It could also support the development of early warning systems for diseases to prevent outbreaks of cholera, malaria and heat-related illnesses; provide clean energy to health facilities to reduce the risk of life-threatening power outages; expand nutrition and food security programmes to protect children during droughts and floods; and provide healthcare workers with training to enable them to respond more effectively to climate-driven crises.
Training sessions
Dr Modi Mwatsama of the Wellcome Trust emphasised the urgency of training negotiators and grounding Africa’s diplomacy in science, noting that the health of the African population cannot wait. “This is the moment to roll out training sessions, strengthen AGN’s leadership, and anchor Africa’s climate diplomacy in science and sustainability,” she asserted.
Dr Petronella Adhiambo of AGNES reminded negotiators that they are also advocates for Africa’s health priorities, and that with the right evidence, international discussions can be directed to reflect the continent’s realities. Civil society groups, including the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), echoed this sentiment, urging the recruitment of more advocates to maintain sustained pressure.
Other participants emphasised the direct impact of climate change. Desta Lakew of Amref Health Africa emphasised that communities in villages, towns and cities are already experiencing the effects of climate change. He insisted that this initiative is about building resilience and ensuring that health is considered in climate diplomacy.
Naveen Rao of the Rockefeller Foundation noted that when one searches for climate change online, the human impact is often overlooked until several pages in. He warned that this narrative must change as health should take precedence and not be an afterthought.
The initiative also draws lessons from Africa’s past struggles in climate negotiations. It took decades of persistence for the concept of 'loss and damage' to be recognised and implemented.
