Health and Climate Change in Africa Documentary
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the significant impact of climate change on global health, particularly in Africa, where it exacerbates diseases like malaria, Rift Valley fever, and schistosomiasis. It highlights collaborative research projects funded by the European Union, focusing on understanding and mitigating the effects of climate change on vector-borne diseases. The script emphasizes the importance of international cooperation, local partnerships, and the development of decision support tools to predict and manage disease outbreaks, aiming to improve Africa's resilience against climate-related health threats.
Takeaways
- 🌍 The Earth has been warming significantly over the last century, with human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels, being the major contributors to this warming.
- 🏜️ The African continent is particularly vulnerable to the effects of global warming, such as melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and increased desertification.
- 🤝 In response to these challenges, the African Union and the European Union have initiated collaborative research efforts focused on water, agriculture, and health.
- 💡 The FP7 Africa Core initiative was a result of this collaboration, funding several research projects aimed at helping people cope with climate change.
- 🦟 Malaria is a major health concern in Africa, with climate change affecting mosquito breeding grounds and potentially increasing infection rates.
- 📚 The Lancet and University College London have identified climate change as the most significant global health threat of the 21st century, with Africa being disproportionately affected.
- 💧 Africa's reliance on rain-fed agriculture and hydropower makes it highly susceptible to climate variability, leading to food and water security issues.
- 🔬 The EU is funding projects like 'Healthy Futures' and 'Question' to study the impact of climate change on health, focusing on vector-borne diseases prevalent in Africa.
- 🌡️ Climate change is expected to exacerbate existing health risks, with diseases like malaria, Rift Valley fever, and schistosomiasis being of particular concern.
- 🤝 Collaborations between European and African researchers, governments, and other stakeholders are crucial for understanding and addressing the complex challenges posed by climate change.
- 🌱 The 'Healthy Futures' project specifically works with local partners in East Africa to study diseases like malaria and Rift Valley fever, aiming to develop early warning systems and improve adaptive capacity.
Q & A
What is the primary cause of global warming mentioned in the script?
-The primary cause of global warming mentioned is human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, which release large quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
How does global warming impact the African continent?
-Global warming impacts Africa by causing glaciers to melt, sea levels to rise, and an increase in desert areas. It also makes the continent more vulnerable to diseases like malaria due to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns.
What are the three key research areas identified by the African Union and the European Union to address the effects of climate change?
-The three key research areas identified are water, agriculture, and health, as these sectors are significantly affected by climate change.
What is the FP7 Africa Core and why was it established?
-The FP7 Africa Core is a funding initiative that resulted from a call for project proposals to support collaborative research projects aimed at helping people cope with climate change.
Why is Africa particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change?
-Africa is vulnerable due to its reliance on rain-fed agriculture, hydropower for electricity, and direct dependence on rain for water supply. Climate change can disrupt these, leading to food and water shortages and increased disease.
What is the significance of the Lancet's statement regarding climate change as a health threat?
-The Lancet, a leading medical journal, has described climate change as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century, highlighting the urgency and severity of its impact on health, particularly in vulnerable regions like Africa.
What are the two main projects funded by the EU to address climate change and health?
-The two main projects are 'Question' and 'Healthy Futures', which focus on the impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases in Africa.
How do the projects 'Question' and 'Healthy Futures' complement each other?
-The projects 'Question' and 'Healthy Futures' are complementary as 'Question' focuses on the western part of Africa while 'Healthy Futures' focuses on the eastern part, both studying major vector-borne diseases present in different African regions.
What are the objectives of the 'Healthy Futures' project?
-The objectives of the 'Healthy Futures' project include improving knowledge on how environmental and social factors impact disease vector distribution, developing decision support tools for local players and policymakers to predict disease outbreaks, and enhancing adaptive capacity to cope with climate-related diseases.
How does the 'Healthy Futures' project work with local partners in Africa?
-The 'Healthy Futures' project collaborates with various partners in East Africa, including Ministries of Health in Uganda and Rwanda, the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya, and involves training PhD students, bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders to address climate-related health issues.
What is the potential impact of climate change on the spread of malaria as mentioned in the script?
-Climate change is expected to affect the life cycle of mosquitoes and the malaria parasite, potentially causing malaria to spread into new areas, increasing the number of infections and deaths.
Outlines
🌍 Global Warming and Its Impact on Africa
This paragraph discusses the significant increase in global temperatures over the past century, with a more pronounced effect over the last 50 years. It attributes this warming primarily to human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. The consequences of this warming are felt worldwide, including the melting of glaciers, rising sea levels, and the expansion of desert areas. Africa is particularly vulnerable to these effects, prompting the African Union and the European Union to collaborate on research in three key areas affected by climate change: water, agriculture, and health. This collaboration led to the funding of several research projects aimed at helping people cope with climate change. The paragraph also highlights the increased prevalence of malaria due to climate change, affecting about 3/4 of the population, and the recognition by The Lancet and University College London of climate change as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century.
🌡️ Climate Change and Health Research in Africa
This paragraph delves into the collaborative research efforts between the EU and Africa to address the health impacts of climate change. It discusses two major projects funded through the EU's 7th Framework Programme: 'Healthy Futures' and 'Question'. These projects focus on the impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases prevalent in Africa, such as malaria, Rift Valley fever, and schistosomiasis. The projects aim to improve understanding of how environmental and social factors influence the distribution of disease vectors and to develop decision support tools for local health and veterinary services and policymakers. The paragraph also emphasizes the importance of collaboration across different sectors and the training of African researchers to build capacity for addressing climate-related health issues. It mentions the specific work being done in East Africa in collaboration with health ministries and research institutes, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to tackling complex societal problems.
🌡️ Climate Change's Effect on Disease Transmission
This paragraph focuses on the impact of climate change on the transmission of diseases like malaria and Rift Valley fever, which are carried by mosquitoes. It discusses a research project that measures the effects of climate change on health in Africa by examining seasonal forecasts for rainfall and temperature to predict disease outbreaks. The project involves collaboration with African scientists and stakeholders, including national malaria and livestock programs, to use these models for decision support in health and livestock ministries. The paragraph also touches on the broader implications of these diseases on local communities, including lost workdays and economic impacts, and raises questions about the adequacy of global efforts to mitigate the health effects of climate change in Africa. It concludes with a mention of 'Horizon 2020', the EU's research and innovation program, as a potential source of funding for further research into the relationship between climate change and infectious diseases.
🤝 Collaboration for a Healthier Future
The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of the collaboration between the African Union and the European Union in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. It suggests that with sufficient funding and continued research efforts, positive changes can be made to secure a healthier future for Africa. The paragraph implies that the collaborative research and initiatives discussed earlier are crucial steps towards mitigating the health risks associated with climate change and improving the resilience of African communities.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Global Warming
💡Greenhouse Gases
💡African Union
💡European Union
💡Climate Change
💡Malaria
💡Rift Valley Fever
💡Schistosomiasis
💡Adaptive Capacity
💡Horizon 2020
💡Public Health
Highlights
Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are largely responsible for global warming.
The African continent is especially vulnerable to the negative effects of global warming.
The African Union and the European Union are collaborating on research in water, agriculture, and health due to climate change.
Malaria is a leading health threat in Africa, exacerbated by climate change.
Climate change is described as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century by The Lancet and University College London.
Africa bears 25% of the global disease burden with only 12.3% of the world's population.
Africa's vulnerability is due to its heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture and hydropower.
The EU is funding projects like 'Healthy Futures' and 'Question' to address climate change's health impacts.
Climate change is expected to worsen existing health risks, particularly in vulnerable regions like Africa.
The 'Question' project focuses on the western part of Africa, while 'Healthy Futures' focuses on the eastern part.
These projects aim to improve knowledge on how environmental and social factors impact disease vector distribution.
Decision support tools are being developed to help predict disease outbreaks and improve adaptive capacity.
Malaria, Rift Valley fever, and schistosomiasis are the main infections studied within the 'Healthy Futures' project.
Collaboration is essential to understand and address the complex societal issues posed by climate change.
Local efforts to contain diseases like Rift Valley fever can sometimes exacerbate the problem.
Behavior change interventions and improved policies are necessary to manage climate-driven diseases.
The 'Healthy Futures' project works with various partners, including Ministries of Health and research institutes.
Climate change impacts are already visible, with diseases like malaria causing significant loss of workdays and school absences.
The European Commission's funding has been crucial for projects like 'Healthy Futures' and 'Question'.
Horizon 2020, with nearly 80 billion euros in funding, will drive further research and innovation in this field.
The collaboration between the African Union and the European Union is bringing about positive changes for Africa's future.
Transcripts
over the course of the last century our
planet has become a warmer but in
particular over the last 50 years it is
now recognised that human activities are
largely responsible for this warming in
particular the burning of fossil fuels
has released huge quantities of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases which
trap additional heat in the lower
atmosphere the impact of this is being
seen worldwide as glaciers melt sea
levels rise and there are more desert
areas the African continent is
particularly exposed and vulnerable to
the negative effects of global warming
therefore the African Union and the
European Union have started to work
together in the three key research areas
affected by climate change water
agriculture and health the result of
this decision was a call for project
proposals the fp7 Africa core out of
which several collaborative research
projects were funded to help people
coping with climate change
about 3/4 of the people are infected
with malaria because of the you know the
this lamb is in between the two livers
and around here there's also another leg
which is coming up so simply the
breeding places is feel closed so that's
why I'm mosquito is very yeah there are
very many mosquitoes which is actually
affecting people that's why they are
mostly infected with malaria the leading
medical journal the lancet together with
University College London described
climate change as the biggest global
health threat of the 21st century
nowhere is a situation more acute than
in Africa with just twelve point three
percent of the world's population but
twenty five percent of the global
disease burden it is vital that Africa
and the international community
addressed this issue Africa is very
vulnerable to climate change the reason
is because Africa invests in climate
related investments or activities Africa
invests in the use of water directly
congregate the rain-fed most of the
agriculture in Africa is rain fed
directly so when rain fails the
agriculture fails Africa depends on
hydro power electricity to a large
extent so when there is no rain you have
no hydropower i frickin depends directly
on rain to supply water to the dams for
the supply in towns and to communities
so when rain fails the communities the
municipal are in trouble so Africa is
very vulnerable
the EU has a long history of research
collaborations in Africa and is
currently funding two projects healthy
futures and question through its 7th
Framework Programme to look at the issue
of climate change in health it is
recognized by the scientific community
that climate change will exacerbate
existing risks to health and so the
populations that are now facing severe
climate related diseases will be the
ones most severely impacted also in the
future and in that regard Africa is
amongst the most vulnerable regions in
the world in addition to that they're
lacking an appropriate adaptive capacity
to cope with those important climate
related diseases the two main projects
question healthy futures they are
focused on the impact of climate change
on vector borne diseases on major vector
more diseases that are present in Africa
the two projects are complementary quite
key the project quite she is more
focused on the western part of Africa
was healthy futures on the eastern part
and they are both looking at major
effect on more diseases that are
currently present in different African
regions such as malaria rich valley
fever schistosomiasis and a series of
tick borne diseases they have common
objectives and mainly they are trying to
improve the knowledge we have on how
environmental factors but also social
Konami's factors are impacting on the
distribution of the vectors that are
carrying the diseases and related to
this based on an improved knowledge they
are developing decision support tools
that eventually should enable local
players such as health and veterinary
services and also policymakers to better
predict disease outbreaks and based on
that to improve their adaptive capacity
to cope with with this very important
climate related diseases the three
infections were studying within healthy
futures are malaria Rift Valley fever
and Schuster
myiasis malaria of course is a very
well-known public health problem it
affects hundreds of millions of people
across the tropics and subtropics in
many hundreds of thousands of deaths
annually it's transmitted by mosquitoes
mosquito is of course very susceptible
to temperature changes so we're
interested in how climate change in
particular will affect the life cycle of
mosquitoes and the malaria parasite
itself schistosomiasis is a worm
infection that lives in the blood
it affects between 200 and 400 million
people again living in tropical and
subtropical areas it can live for
several years and it creates disease
it's less fatal than malaria but it can
exist for a long time and affects people
their entire lives Rift Valley fever is
a virus it's an epidemic virus that
tends to occur only once every maybe ten
years when there's extreme weather
events again it's transmitted by
mosquitoes
it affects mainly animals but can also
affect humans
so within healthy futures we're working
collaboratively with a range of partners
within East Africa we work with the
Ministry of Health in Uganda we also
work with the Ministry of Health in
Rwanda and we're involved in training
exercises particularly for Rift Valley
fever and schistosomiasis were training
PhD students we're working with Ellery
which is the International Livestock
Research Institute in Kenya and we have
a number of PhD students who are part of
the healthy futures training program so
we're bringing together collaborators
from different backgrounds from
government from meteorological
Institute's from academic institutes and
research institutes in both Europe and
Africa to work together Society is
complex and many of the problems that we
face as a society are also complex and
cannot be solved by one person working
alone we have to collaborate in order to
really understand how these issues
affect is and how we can then intervene
with the right kind of solutions we need
to bring actors together from different
areas from the public and the private
sector but also from civic society
academic researchers all types of basic
and applied researchers need to work
together to come to a more holistic and
complete understanding of the issue
before you can really tackle it properly
I work with Rift Valley fever which is a
mosquito-borne infection cattle and
people it's one of the disease which is
climate driven it's influenced by the
population of vectors and the
distribution of hosts I see attempt by
the local people to contain the disease
by doing land use changes which actually
exacerbate the appearance of the disease
for example because these dry lands are
becoming less productive so we see more
of irrigation being done sort of like to
improve productivity but in a sense
those interventions are also they tend
to increase the risk of this much
infectious diseases specifically Rift
Valley fever because of what the
appearance of vectors the first step is
to work with them to understand the risk
of exposure I'd to understand what are
those practices which make them to be
more exposed to the disease so that we
can do behavior change interventions so
that would be one of one way of working
with the local people to develop their
own interventions on the ground the
other thing will be working with the
decision-makers to improve their
policies for the disease so for example
developing decision support tools which
will help help them manage that this is
better some ten years ago you know
people were healthy and we were eating
animal product without any problem but
now it seems the animals are sick people
are sick everybody's sick sick with this
a issue with malaria almost every week
we have about
fifteen children missing school a week
15 to even 20 because of malaria the
impact of global warming on temperatures
as the disease happens are changing for
example malaria kills around six hundred
and sixty thousand people a year
worldwide it's expected this may rise as
malaria begins to spread into new areas
when she is a research project working
in West Africa and southern Africa which
measures the effect of climate change on
health in Africa we're looking at
seasonal time scale forecasts for
rainfall and temperature and using that
information to predict the risk of a
range of diseases we're working on both
malaria and Rift Valley fever which are
diseases which are carried by mosquitoes
so how many months of the year does it
rain and if the temperatures are viable
for both the growth of the insect let's
say a mosquito and also the growth of
the infectious agent particularly within
when it's developing with inside the
mosquito having local partners essential
for working in in Africa we're working
with both African scientists who are
very much the same as me they're working
on scientific problems and we're also
working with a range of stakeholders
including National malaria program and
the national Livestock program in
Senegal the African scientists are using
our models to work with their decisions
support partners in the in the
ministries of health and the ministries
of livestock and this is really the
project really is a two-way exchange
information comes from Africa
information goes from Europe to Africa
and without the partners in Africa we
would not have such detailed information
the work is important because we leave a
legacy behind in Africa
through the training of a whole
generation of research scientists in the
institutions where where we were we've
also brought together European
researchers in ways that perhaps had not
occurred in the past and we actually are
almost on the edge of being an
operational early warning system for
malaria queasy and healthy futures
projects would not have happened if it
was not for the funding of the European
Commission
and all the partners in both the
projects are very grateful for the
funding that has been provided malaria
affected these people in so many ways
one of them is lost workdays for example
these people in Murray got and
especially around this the catchment
area of this hospital many of them do
farming and farming and we use
irrigation water for farming so if
somebody's affected by malaria for sure
they do not go to the work place so in
that sense it has affected people in
that they cannot produce they cannot
produce their food they cannot turn to
their farms they cannot tend to their
cattle because some of the communities
are pastoralists so in that sense it has
affected them and again it also that
means in the long run it also affects
their economy and again the impact of
that is probably poverty increased
poverty levels so is enough being done
on a global scale to mitigate the
effects of climate change on people's
health in Africa Europe and elsewhere
and what other research is needed
looking forward one development which
will undoubtedly drive progress is
horizon 2020 the biggest you research an
innovation program ever with nearly 80
billion euros of funding available over
seven years until 2020 there's a lot
more we could do with the ideas that
we've generated within horizon 2020 for
new research project purposes an obvious
idea will be to look at more infectious
diseases we only had the scope within
healthy futures to
Rift Valley fever schistosomiasis and
malaria but people living in the tropics
and the sub tropics are affected by a
great range of different infectious
diseases including other worms bacteria
viruses and protozoans there's scope for
incorporating some of the methods that
we've developed in healthy futures to
cover these or other diseases climate
change is a significant threat to public
health on the African continent the
World Health Organization estimates that
the global cost of climate change to
public health will be between two to
four billion dollars per year by 2030
the collaboration between researchers
from the African Union and the European
Union is starting to bring about
positive changes to Africa's future this
can only continue there is sufficient
funding
you
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