Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening climate and health research through partnerships that will help transform scientific evidence into policies to address the growing impact of climate change across Africa.
The assurance was given by a representative of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Cedric Dzelu, at the launch of the Pan-African Climate and Health Science and Policy Consortium in Accra on Tuesday, July 14.
The consortium, established in partnership with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and other African institutions, seeks to bridge the gap between climate research and policy implementation.
Mr Dzelu said while scientific knowledge remains critical in tackling climate-related challenges, the major challenge has been translating research findings into practical action.
“Nevertheless, science alone is not enough. The greatest gap we face is not knowledge; it is the bridge between knowledge and action. That bridge is built by collaboration,” he said.
He explained that government would provide the necessary policy support and create an enabling environment to ensure climate and health research receives adequate funding and contributes to practical solutions.
Mr Dzelu also announced plans to activate a Climate Emergency Resource Mobilisation Track to ensure research outcomes directly inform national decisions, particularly in areas such as climate adaptation and health planning.
He stressed that addressing climate and health challenges requires coordinated efforts across multiple sectors, including health, environment, water, urban planning and finance.
“We will work to ensure that findings from consortiums like yours will not sit on shelves, but inform our national adaptation, our health sector priorities and our engagement with climate finance mechanisms,” he added.
Meanwhile, Leader of the West African Climate Change and Health Consortium and Provost of the College of Science at KNUST, Professor Philip Antwi-Agyei, said the initiative aims to produce evidence that will enable policymakers to respond effectively to climate-related health risks.
He noted that one of the consortium’s immediate priorities is the development of a predictive dashboard to help forecast outbreaks of climate-sensitive and vector-borne diseases linked to changing rainfall and climate patterns.
According to him, the tool will support health authorities to anticipate possible outbreaks and take early measures to reduce the impact of climate change on health and food systems.
Director of Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hafez Adam, said the ministry has already incorporated climate and health issues into its medium-term development plans, the National Health Plan and the Health Adaptation Plan.
He added that the ministry will support the consortium by providing data, collaborating on research and contributing to policies aimed at protecting vulnerable populations.
Dr Adam stressed the importance of evidence-based decision-making, noting that effective climate response depends on access to reliable data.
“You can’t talk about climate response and impact when you don’t have the data. We have to co-create, co-share and co-implement,” he said, adding that research must address the health needs of the population.
