Assessment of research needs for public health adaptation to social, environmental and climate change impacts on vector-borne diseases in Africa : an informal expert consultation convened by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR)

World Health Organization; Thomson, Madeleine; Mantilla, Gilma; Platzer, Barbara; Willingham, Arve Lee

Assessment of research needs for public health adaptation to social, environmental and climate change impacts on vector-borne diseases in Africa : an informal expert consultation convened by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR)

Files

IDL-50575.pdf (2.53 MB)

Date

2012

Authors

World Health Organization

Publisher

TDR/World Health Organization, Geneva, CH

Abstract

Control strategies for vector--‐borne diseases (VBD) are a pillar of public health policies. Potential impacts of VBD-¬‐related risks reflect environmental exposure as well as social vulnerabilities, both of which are sensitive to climatic conditions. The existing evidence suggests that climate change impacts will substantially increase burdens on those populations that are already vulnerable to climate extremes, such as those of the African continent. Climate change in Africa induces multiple threats to development and the social dimensions of climate change are, therefore, increasingly highlighted on the development agenda. This is of particular significance for drylands in sub-¬‐Saharan Africa, in which water-¬‐related VBD are a significant disease burden while these areas are, at the same time, particularly poor, food insecure, ecologically fragile and socially vulnerable. The gap in knowledge about the relationships between social and economic vulnerabilities and environmental hazards linked to VBD in a context of climatic change, and the even larger gap in policy options for addressing the situation, have been identified by African ministers of health and environment, and technical experts internationally, as serious obstacles to evidence-¬‐based health policy change. Capacities need to be strengthened for generating, interpreting and using socio-¬‐ economic, environmental, meteorological and other climate information that could guide VBD prevention and control strategies and improve the ability of African countries to adapt to and reduce the effects of these changes in ways that benefit the most vulnerable populations. Trans--‐disciplinary research-¬‐for-¬‐policy frameworks for improved VBD risk management need to be developed that can sustainably improve the resilience of African populations to such VBD-¬‐related health threats under climate change conditions. An informal expert consultation was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 27-¬‐29 February 2012 to engage key stakeholders from the region in discussions to reach consensus on the most important research gaps and identify priorities in the African context for assessing impacts of interrelated social, environmental and climate changes on the relevant VBD burden of vulnerable populations as well as for developing and testing practical strategies for mitigating these impacts through adaptation.

Description

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 27-29, 2012

Keywords

CLIMATE CHANGE, HEALTH, ADAPTATION, VULNERABILITY, IMPACT PATHWAYS, APPLIED RESEARCH, SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE, POLICY LINKS, VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES, PUBLIC HEALTH, AFRICA, CAPACITY BUILDING

Citation

World Health Organization, Thomson, M., Mantilla, G., Platzer, B., Willingham, A. L., Sommerfeld, J., & Yeya, T. (2012). Assessment of research needs for public health adaptation to social, environmental and climate change impacts on vector-borne diseases in Africa - An informal expert consultation convened by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical. Geneva, CH: TDR/World Health Organization.