Nasarawa adopts FG’s health plan to address climate change

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The Nasarawa State Ministry of Health has adopted the Federal Government’s Health National Adaptation Plan 2025–2030 to address the effects of climate change on the state’s health system.

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The adoption was disclosed at a one-day stakeholders’ validation workshop for the Nasarawa Health State Adaptation Plan on Friday in Lafia.

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The Health National Adaptation Plan is a framework for integrating climate adaptation into health policies, programmes and infrastructure development across the country.

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Speaking at the workshop, the State Desk Officer for Climate Change and Health, Dr Godwin Ewuga, said climate change had contributed to several health challenges.

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He said climate change affected health through the disruption of health services and injuries and deaths associated with flooding and other disasters.

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Ewuga also said climate change contributed to the spread of waterborne, foodborne and vector-borne diseases, including malaria.

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He added that people with pre-existing conditions such as hypertension, heart and kidney diseases and asthma could be affected by heat stress resulting from rising temperatures.

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Ewuga explained that the Health State Adaptation Plan was based on evidence on the effects of climate change on the health system and contained intervention plans covering five years.

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“So, the HSAP contains evidences of climate impact on health, health infrastructure, and the health system, and then, assigned interventions that will help address those challenges in the health sector, and then how we intend to get it done,” he said.

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He said the document would be implemented if approved by the state government.

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Ewuga also acknowledged the contributions of stakeholders from various ministries, departments and agencies who participated in the validation of the document.

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He said the document would receive attention if approved by the governor.

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The Permanent Secretary of the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, Dr Ibrahim Alhassan, said the document took about 20 months to prepare.

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Alhassan said the validation exercise involved representatives from the ministries of health, budget and planning, livestock, agriculture and human capital development, as well as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, the Renewable Energy Commission and the Red Cross.

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“We are here today to validate a document that has taken a journey in preparation. So for me, this is a celebration of hard work, a celebration of commitment. And I will say that we are grateful to the Desk Officer for agreeing to take up this onerous task. We are also grateful to all the stakeholders for their inputs in making this document a success,” he said.

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Earlier, the Director of Public Health in the state, Dr Peter Attah, said Nasarawa was among the first 15 states in the country to develop its Health State Adaptation Plan.

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He said the document was ready for approval by the governor and that the ministry would implement it if the necessary approvals were obtained.

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