By ABUJAH RACHEAL

Stakeholders are to converge on Abuja on July 17 to discuss the climate change impacts on health across Africa.

The stakeholders include governments, private sector entities, and development organisations who are collaborating on initiatives to mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance resilience in the health sector.

They are to hold a high-level session titled ‘Addressing the Effects of Climate Change on Health,’ part of the Africa Health Business Symposium (AHBS25).

Dr Amina Dorayi, Senior Country Director for Pathfinder International told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Abuja that AHBS25 would be held under the theme “Leveraging Innovation to Advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Africa”.

Dorayi said that the symposium is aimed at generating actionable strategies to minimise and mitigate the health impacts of climate change.

“The session will spotlight climate-health linkages, promote evidence-based interventions, and foster action-oriented partnerships to support climate-resilient health systems.

“Pathfinder International will play a pivotal role during the session, bringing its extensive experience in community-led and gender-sensitive innovation. The organisation will showcase:

“The session will highlight women-led climate-health solutions from countries that are 95 per cent vulnerable to climate threats.

“The session will also focus on introduction of a new system innovation platform designed to scale community-driven interventions, and demonstrate integrated approaches that simultaneously deliver health, climate, and economic outcomes,” she said.

According to her, the session presents a timely opportunity to centre women and communities in climate-health strategies.

“Women and communities are not only the most affected by climate change, they are also key to designing effective, scalable solutions,” she noted ahead of the event,”.

Also expected to participate, she said, is Dr Oumar Onyango, Senior Advisor for Research and Strategic Communications – Africa at Pathfinder International. Onyango is expected to highlight the importance of storytelling, strategic partnerships, and African-led innovation in addressing the intersection of health and climate.

‘This session will spotlight how community-informed, data-backed solutions can influence policy and drive long-term systems change,” she added.

NAN reports that the AHBS25 symposium is a premier platform bringing together Africa’s leading health policy experts, private sector leaders, innovators, and researchers for dialogue and action.

This year’s event will focus on exploring how innovations in technology, financing, and partnerships can accelerate progress toward UHC while responding to climate challenges.

As climate-related health threats intensify, the outcomes of this symposium are expected to shape future policy directions, strengthen health resilience, and deliver a lasting impact for Africa’s most climate-vulnerable populations. (NAN)