WHO tok say six climate and health steps fit save 1.6 million lives a year
- World Health Organisation tok say six practical measures fit prevent nearly 1.6 million deaths every year.
- Di report wey come out before COP31 for Turkey, list heat warnings, safer water and cleaner cooking energy.
- Di agency admit say di figures stand on ambitious assumptions and data wey no complete.
World Health Organisation (WHO) tok say some practical steps wey join climate policy with public health fit prevent close to 1.6 million deaths every year, according to one report wey di UN agency release on Wednesday.
Di report come just some days before world leaders go gather for Turkey for COP31, di annual UN climate summit. Di main point na simple: plenty of di harm wey climate change dey cause to human health fit avoid with tools wey governments already get.
Among di six measures wey WHO list, e get early warning systems wey dey alert communities about dangerous heat, and water and sanitation systems wey dem build to withstand climate shocks. E also recommend better hand hygiene, shift to cleaner fuels for cooking for house, and pricing fossil fuels so dia true cost go show.
Wetin di numbers talk
According to di report, if dem roll out di six measures together, e go deliver wetin WHO call triple gain: healthier populations, lower emissions and stronger economies.
Di agency estimate say di steps fit keep about 16.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide out of di atmosphere every year. On di money side, e put di potential fiscal benefit at up to $5.4 trillion every year, with another boost of nearly $4 trillion from lives wey dem save, disasters wey dem avoid and lower healthcare bills.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tok say di climate crisis na also health crisis, but e stress say plenty of di harm fit prevent using tools wey already dey. E tok say di report show say if dem expand proven, affordable actions, e fit save millions of lives, with di biggest gains for di countries wey need am pass.
Di agency no hide di limits of dia own work. E tok say di projections stand on ambitious scenarios, and say gaps for data and other uncertainties affect di estimates.
Why e matter for Nigeria
For Nigerians, di report touch problems wey already familiar: extreme heat, unsafe drinking water, dirty cooking fuels and public health systems wey dey under strain. Cleaner household energy and better water and sanitation na di kind measures wey go show directly for fewer illnesses and lower household spending on treatment.
Tedros urge leaders wey dey go COP31 to put health for centre of climate decisions. Whether governments go follow dat advice, and how dem go fund di measures, go clear well well at di summit.
