Climate change is intensifying health threats across Africa, driving economic losses, slowing progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, and worsening the burden of infectious diseases, food insecurity, poor air quality, and overstretched health systems.
These are the findings of a landmark health policy report released by Lancet Countdown Africa, a research collaboration hosted at the University of Pretoria (UP). The report provides the most comprehensive assessment yet of how African countries are responding to the continent’s rapidly growing climate-related health risks—and what must be done urgently to protect lives.
Despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, African nations are facing some of the world’s most severe climate impacts. As global negotiators prepare for COP30, the report underscores a critical message: protecting human health must sit at the heart of climate action and development planning. This will require stronger data systems, fairer climate financing, and the adoption of evidence-based policies to build long-term resilience.
Dr Zakari Ali, Lancet Countdown Africa Fellow, stressed that although the challenges are immense, Africa is not starting from scratch.
“The solutions to adapt to the health impacts of climate change in Africa will not come easy, but we are not starting from zero,” he said. “Now is the time to build new expertise and galvanise pockets of existing data to guide effective action to safeguard human health across the continent.”
As part of efforts to strengthen regional capacity, the Lancet Countdown has established a new African regional Centre, initially incubated at the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia (MRCG) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) with support from Wellcome. The centre now operates under UP’s Future Africa platform and will coordinate expert networks, track climate-related health indicators, and generate policy-relevant evidence tailored to African contexts.
Professor Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi, Director of Lancet Countdown Africa, said the Centre will play a pivotal role in elevating African perspectives and expertise.
“As the health impacts of climate change worsen, affecting millions of lives and livelihoods, the new Lancet Countdown will assemble leading experts and work with partners across the continent and globally to translate science into tangible solutions,” he said. “The Centre will strengthen Africa’s voice in global climate discussions and help turn global commitments into meaningful, locally driven action.”
Professor Kris Murray, Lead of Nutrition and Planetary Health at MRCG at LSHTM, highlighted the importance of global and regional collaboration.
“Addressing the health impacts of climate change requires coordinated responses from all corners of the world,” he said. “The establishment of the African Centre is a critical step toward shifting the centre of gravity of climate and health science—ensuring solutions improve global responses while serving African populations where the impacts are most acute.”
With climate change accelerating and its health impacts deepening, the report calls for decisive, well-financed, and equity-driven action. For African policymakers, it provides a timely evidence base to guide planning, strengthen resilience, and protect millions from mounting climate-related health risks.