Amref Launches Climate and Health Financing Capacity Support for African Countries

Africa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, experiencing droughts, floods, heatwaves, sea-level rise, and unpredictable rainfall patterns—climate-induced events that threaten the continent’s agriculture, water security, biodiversity, and economic stability. These disruptions, in turn, have dire consequences on public health, exacerbating the spread of diseases, malnutrition, and other health challenges.

Despite the urgent need for climate adaptation, Africa’s adaptation gap continues to widen, with the continent’s climate adaptation financing severely underfunded. According to the UNEP Adaptation Gap Report (2023), adaptation costs for developing countries could reach between $340 billion and $400 billion annually by 2030. Unfortunately, health receives only a fraction of the necessary funding for both mitigation and adaptation, leaving health systems ill-equipped to cope with the mounting climate-related health challenges.

Recognising these growing challenges and the critical need for increased climate-health financing, Amref Health Africa has prioritised climate and health financing as a cornerstone of its advocacy and capacity-building efforts. With a focus on supporting health system adaptation and resilience across Africa, Amref is actively pursuing climate financing support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through a Project-Specific Assessment Approach.

Targeting countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and South Africa, Amref has already held co-creation workshops with stakeholders from these nations. These sessions culminated in a significant convening at the Bellagio Centre in Milan, Italy, where key stakeholders came together to discuss the climate-health financing challenges facing Africa and co-develop potential solutions.

“It is no secret that the health sector is not receiving the necessary resources for climate action,” said Desta Lakew, Group Director, Partnerships & External Affairs. “This gathering is crucial to developing frameworks that will strengthen countries’ readiness and create actionable pathways for unlocking climate and health financing. Furthermore, this meeting serves as a working session to co-create targeted concepts for submission to the Green Climate Fund, focusing on identifying key investment areas and projects in climate and health.”

Amref’s work in climate and health is pivotal in addressing the severe health risks posed by climate change, ensuring that African nations are better equipped to adapt, mitigate, and protect their populations from increasing climate-linked health threats.