By Michael Gwarisa
In 2024, African health ministers adopted a 10-year framework to build climate-resilient and sustainable health systems across the continent. This framework aims to guide World Health Organization (WHO) African region member states in translating global climate and health initiatives into concrete, actionable steps at the country level.
For over a decade, the WHO has collaborated with member states and partners on policies and research initiatives to strengthen multisectoral efforts on health and environmental issues in Africa. These initiatives focus on creating strategies and frameworks that address the region’s unique environmental health challenges, such as clean water access, air quality, and pollution control. Through these partnerships, WHO seeks to enhance the resilience of African health systems by integrating environmental health considerations into public health policies and programs, improving outcomes for communities continent-wide.
Despite these efforts, Africa continues to experience persistent disease outbreaks linked to climate change. Data suggests that fluctuating temperatures may be tied to a rise in zoonotic diseases that Africa has grappled with for years. Zoonotic diseases, which spread from animals to humans, include Ebola, Mpox, Marburg, and COVID-19, among others. Public health data further indicates that as global temperatures rise, infectious diseases once confined to warmer regions are slowly expanding their range, especially zoonotic diseases.
In an effort to address climate-linked health challenges, WHO introduced the One Health approach in 2008, recognizing the critical connections between human, animal, and environmental health. According to WHO, this holistic framework is essential in tackling global health threats exacerbated by climate change, such as zoonotic disease spread, antimicrobial resistance, and food insecurity. As climate change affects ecosystems, it also alters the habitats and behaviors of animals, increasing the likelihood of diseases crossing between animals and humans.
In an interview with HealthTimes on the sidelines of a Ministerial Meeting on Climate and Health in Africa, held alongside the Inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC 2024), Dr. Adelheid Onyango, WHO Afro Director Healthier Populations Cluster said the One Health program has evolved over time.
The One Health approach initially focused on three issues: Animal Health, Plant Health, and Human Health. That’s why there was a long-standing ‘Tripartite’ on One Health,” Dr. Onyango explained.
In the beginning, the Secretariat supporting the One Health approach included the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and WHO, each addressing one of the three areas. Recently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) joined, expanding the initiative to a “Quadripartite.”
“UNEP joined because we are also looking at planetary health. The One Health Approach allows us to examine the impact of climate change across sectors, including agriculture, animal health, the environment, and human health.”
Health as the Human Face of Climate Change
Dr. Onyango highlighted that climate change discussions often focus on global warming targets, overlooking the human aspect. She emphasized the risk of framing climate talks in technical terms alone.
“I call health the human face of climate change. Changes in climate have a ripple effect on weather and rainfall patterns, which in turn affect disease patterns, particularly vector-borne diseases. If temperatures rise, we will see diseases emerge in regions where they didn’t exist previously or see a recurrence of diseases that had been under control.”
Dr. Onyango added that climate change directly impacts food production, water availability, and livelihoods. For example, prolonged droughts lead to starvation and reduced food production. Much of Africa’s agriculture relies on rainfall, so droughts often lead to widespread food insecurity. In addition, flooding has driven increases in cholera and other waterborne diseases.
“Cholera, for instance, becomes a high risk in extreme conditions – either too dry, leading to poor water access, or too wet, which can also increase exposure. When we talk about the human face of climate change, it’s not just about tracking temperature or rainfall patterns. It’s about how these changes touch human lives,” said Dr. Onyango.
Zoonosis, Climate Change, and the One Health Approach
Zoonotic diseases in Africa increasingly cross over to humans, primarily due to disruptions in ecological systems caused by climate change. Human encroachment on former wildlife habitats, driven by food and livelihood needs, heightens exposure to infection. Interaction through hunting, food preparation, and consumption of game meat directly exposes humans to zoonotic diseases.
“Eating animals and the way we interact with them during hunting and food preparation can expose us to diseases. Infection can spread between humans and animals,” Dr. Onyango noted.
She added that the One Health approach brings together stakeholders from different fields—environment, human health, animal health, and planetary health—enabling them to work collaboratively in identifying common causes of challenges that impact each sector.
How Does One Health Work?
According to Dr. Onyango, the One Health approach is based on collaboration, education, and raising awareness. One Health’s goal is first to understand and potentially identify the source of disease outbreaks.
“For instance, if wildlife consumption is driving disease transmission, we cannot simply tell people to stop eating these animals since it’s often essential to their way of life. Instead, we work on raising awareness, showing how to engage in these practices safely to protect their health while meeting their needs.”
Cross-border collaboration is also crucial. “If there’s an outbreak in one country, it often spreads to the next because people and animals move. Restrictions on animal and human movement must respect the continuity of life. Closing borders might not stop the spread since people and animals can still move through uncontrolled borders.”
Dr. Onyango emphasized the importance of a shared understanding across borders, saying that if a problem affects one African country, it affects the continent. A common platform for agreeing on disease management protocols is critical.
The Importance of Data Sharing in the One Health Approach
The One Health approach underscores the need to share information early about outbreaks or diseases in particular regions to prevent spread beyond the origin.
“Sharing information openly allows for an alert system that helps others not only protect themselves but also provide support to the affected region. Often, movement is driven by a need for food, security, or peace. Our lives are interlinked.”
Challenges to One Health and Data Sharing
One Health relies on trans-disciplinary information sharing, where knowledge from one field, such as environmental health, can guide decisions in human, planetary, or animal health. However, data sharing faces obstacles due to various concerns.
“When information comes together in centers like WHO, we gain access to data from different areas. However, this depends on what countries are willing to share. There can be hesitance in sharing outbreak data due to fear of stigma or concerns about how neighboring countries might react.”
Dr. Onyango noted that certain disease outbreaks lead to reluctance in data sharing, but routine information sharing is essential for early warning systems that help track trends and assess new health challenges.
Is the One Health Approach the Magic Bullet for Climate-Induced Health Challenges?
“What we need to understand is that there’s no foolproof solution to these challenges. The One Health approach is a platform that facilitates response actions. All I can say is we are exposed,” said Dr. Onyango.