By Racheal Abujah
Prof. Rashid Ansumana, Dean of the College of Medical Sciences at Njala University, Sierra Leone, says Africa is gradually making a paradigm shift in climate-driven disease control.
He said from reacting to infectious disease outbreaks, the continent is now predicting them through integrated, climate-informed health surveillance systems.
Ansumana stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja ahead of the 4th International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2025).
NAN reports that the conference, which will be held from Oct. 22 to Oct.25 in Durban, South Africa, will focus on “Moving Towards Self-Reliance to Achieve Universal Health Coverage and Health Security in Africa.”
He said that climate change was rapidly transforming the ecology of diseases in Africa, changing when and where diseases emerge.
“Changes in rainfall, temperature and humidity are altering the habitats of vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks and rodents, leading to new and resurging patterns of disease transmission across the continent,” he said.
According to him, the Sixth Assessment Report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that sub-Saharan Africa is now experiencing more heat waves, floods, and droughts.
He noted that all these conditions favour Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes, which transmit diseases like dengue and malaria.
“Malaria and dengue transmission zones are expanding into highland areas and semi-arid regions because of rising temperatures.
“Flooding and poor sanitation also increase outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
“Deforestation and agricultural expansion bring humans and animals into closer contact, raising the risk of zoonotic infections such as Lassa fever,” he said.
Ansumana said that the continent’s health systems, already strained by limited resources, were now faced with climate-driven disease challenges that demand collaboration across human, animal and environmental sectors.
He highlighted that African institutions were increasingly investing in early warning and response systems that integrate climate data into disease surveillance.
“The Africa CDC’s One Health Programme is promoting surveillance that cuts across people, animals and the environment, helping to detect and respond to health threats faster.
“At the regional level, the ECOWAS Regional One Health Action Plan supports member countries in sharing data, strengthening preparedness and building capacity to tackle health emergencies before they escalate,” he said.
He added that some African countries had begun linking meteorological and epidemiological data to predict potential outbreaks using models that monitor rainfall, vegetation and rodent population density.
“This shift from reactive to predictive public health means officials can intervene before an outbreak gets out of control,” he said.
According to Ansumana, the One Health approach remains Africa’s best opportunity to build health security amid climate change.
“Over 60 per cent of new infectious diseases in humans originate from animals. “Yet, historically, surveillance systems have been fragmented, with human health ministries working in isolation from veterinary or environmental agencies.
“One Health brings all these sectors together to share laboratories, harmonise data and strengthen collaboration,” he said.
He praised the Africa CDC Framework for One Health Practice, which helps countries establish national coordination mechanisms, standardise laboratory systems and train multidisciplinary teams.
“Through programmes such as the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (FELTP), Africa is producing epidemiologists who can interpret disease trends across social, environmental and veterinary dimensions.
“That is the kind of expertise the continent needs to foresee and contain health threats before they spread,” he said.
Beyond science and policy, he emphasised that effective communication remains the vital bridge between early warning and community action.
“Science cannot stop outbreaks on its own; communication is what connects data to behaviour.
“During the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak, trusted local radio stations and community messengers helped to save lives by spreading accurate information,” he said.
He said that across West Africa, Community Action Networks (CANs) were now linking traditional leaders, women’s groups and youth associations with district surveillance officers.
“In places like Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Nigeria, community members send messages on WhatsApp to report unusual human or animal illnesses, or even environmental stress such as flooding,” he said.
According to him, such systems build trust and enable quicker responses at the local level.
However, he warned that for these networks to remain sustainable, there must be deliberate investment in media literacy and journalists training.
“When journalists, scientists and communities work together, early warnings become clearer, more inclusive and more actionable.
“The media amplifies early warnings, simplifies technical forecasts and helps people take preventive measures,” he said.
He said that building Africa’s resilience against climate-sensitive diseases would require convergence between predictive data, local trust and multisectoral collaboration.
“The best way for Africa to protect itself from the health impacts of climate change is to invest in integrated One Health surveillance systems and strengthen community communication networks.
“Climate change is a global challenge, but preparedness starts at the community level,” he said.
Ansumana called on governments, regional bodies and development partners to prioritise One Health investments as part of national climate adaptation and health security strategies.
“Resilience is not just about technology, it is about people. “If the ministries of health, environment and agriculture work together with communities, Africa will no longer be chasing outbreaks; it will be anticipating them,” he said.
NAN reports that as the continent prepares for CPHIA 2025 in Durban, discussions on One Health and climate adaptation are expected to take centre stage, with experts urging African countries to build sustainable, home-grown solutions that reinforce self-reliance and health security. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Francis Onyeukwu
