New York: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has joined forces with the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) in a groundbreaking initiative aimed at combating the urgent health risks posed by climate change in Africa.
In a statement on Wednesday, WHO noted this partnership seeks to create a climate-resilient health financing solution designed to protect vulnerable communities from increasingly frequent and severe climate-driven health crises.
As extreme weather events like heatwaves, floods, and droughts strain the continent’s already fragile healthcare systems, this collaboration promises to pave a new way forward, ensuring that the most at-risk populations receive the support they desperately need.
At a two-day regional workshop in Nairobi, convened by WHO and AECF, participants co-developed a proposal to mobilise innovative financing for climate-resilient health systems.
Dr Jeremiah Mushosho, WHO Africa Regional Team Lead for Climate Change, called the effort transformative, highlighting the potential for positive change: “This initiative represents a new frontier in climate and health financing that centres resilience, equity, and innovation.
“By mobilising both public and private capital, and with the strategic guidance of the Adaptation Fund, we can unlock the scale of investment needed to safeguard Africa’s future.”
For millions already facing the impacts of climate change, from children battling waterborne diseases after floods to farmers confronting hunger caused by prolonged drought, the stakes are urgent.
Victoria Sabula, CEO of AECF, emphasised the need to go beyond traditional aid: “African communities are already living the impacts of climate change. To protect them, we must go beyond traditional aid and bring in the ingenuity and investment of the private sector.
“This project is about building solutions that last, and that ordinary families in Africa can rely on.”
Gregoire Piller, External Relations Officer at WHO’s Regional Office for Africa, highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration: “Climate and health challenges cannot be solved by any one actor alone.
This initiative demonstrates the power of partnerships, where governments, international institutions, and the private sector unite around shared priorities.
“By building bridges across these communities, we are not only fostering trust but also unlocking the financial innovation needed to shield millions of Africans from climate-driven health crises.”
