NASARAWA DEVELOPS FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO ADDRESS CLIMATE-RELATED HEALTH RISKS

The Nasarawa State Ministry of Health has adopted the Federal Government’s Health National Adaptation Plan 2025–2030 as part of efforts to address the impact of climate change on healthcare delivery in the state.

The development was announced during a stakeholders’ validation workshop for the Nasarawa Health State Adaptation Plan held in Lafia on Friday.

The State Desk Officer for Climate Change and Health, Dr Godwin Ewuga, said climate change was contributing to several health challenges, including disruptions to health services and health risks associated with flooding and other disasters.

He also identified the spread of waterborne, foodborne and vector-borne diseases, including malaria, as some of the health concerns linked to changing climate conditions. Rising temperatures could also expose people with existing health conditions to heat-related risks, he said.

Ewuga explained that the state’s adaptation plan was developed based on evidence of climate-related impacts on healthcare infrastructure and services. The plan contains interventions expected to be implemented over five years, subject to government approval.

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

The validation exercise involved representatives from several government ministries and agencies, including health, agriculture, livestock, budget and planning, as well as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Renewable Energy Commission and Red Cross.

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