7 April 2008, Boipatong
Programme Director
MEC for Health in Gauteng
WHO Representative in South Africa Dr Stella Anyangwe
Executive Mayor of Madibeng
Councillors
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It is indeed great pleasure for me to be here in Boipatong to talk about an issue that most of us know little about and seldom talk about and yet could have severe and far-reaching consequences if not timeously dealt with.
As most of you know, we are gathered here to observe World Health Day, a day commemorated annually by the rest of the world on the 07th of April to highlight the need to protect and promote health.
As we commemorate this day today under the theme "Protecting Health from Climate Change" allow me to share with you some of the key issues regarding the impact of the environment has on our health.
As health workers and activists, we are fully mindful of the need by the nations of the world to industrialise as part of an economic imperative and survival. In doing so however, we have to take into account the negative effects of such large-scale industrialisation, its impact on the environment and the climate and the far-reaching consequences it could have on health and the quality of life if not properly managed.
According to the World Health Organisation the green house gases that cause climate change originate from industrialised countries. One of the manifestations for climate change is global warming which is the average increase of the earth's temperatures caused by the green house gases which helps to trap energy from the sun. Excessive emission of these gases result in a further energy trap consequently increasing global warming.
The negative health impact that can be experienced as result of climate change, according to the WHO findings include, among others:
With climate change we will experience warm winters, extremely hot summers, changed patterns of rainfall and rising of sea levels. Already countries like Mozambique are being affected by severe floods and we have seen serious damage to property and infrastructure along the Durban coast as a result of high sea levels.
The weather pattern changes are expected to also have an effect on seasonal diseases like malaria in our country. We have to strengthen our surveillance and ensure that our vector control measures (including timing for malaria spraying) respond to these changes accordingly.
We have strengthened our interventions in provinces like Limpopo where we have witnessed an unusual upsurge in the number of malaria cases to more than a thousand last month compared to about 175 cases last year. Efforts are being made to increase awareness and ensure that those infected report to health facilities for prompt diagnosis and treatment.
Programme Director, climate change also creates an unhealthy situation that brings about the risk of waterborne diseases such as Cholera, Typhoid, E Coli to name but a few, and the destruction of crops.
It must be noted that most crops in South Africa grow in appropriate climate conditions and the disturbance of the climate patterns is most likely to have a knock-on effect on the food production chain in general. Interruptions in the food supply chain will worsen the already devastating situation with regard to food prices.
Also the climate changes will also diminish hopes of particularly poor communities of producing their own crops for both subsistence and economic survival. It undermines our very campaign of encouraging every family and community to have food gardens.
We are using the occasion of this World Health Day to make a call to all the relevant structures and communities to participate in raising awareness and work together to deal with these climate-related health challenges.
We need to take actions aimed at strengthening our infectious diseases control, ensure safe use of water supplies and coordinate health actions in order to respond to diseases, emergencies and natural disasters.
We need to protect the health interests of the poorest among us who are always the hardest hit by these disasters due to their vulnerability. It is the poorest of the poor who are most likely to live in informal settlements situated in flood risk areas.
As government, we continue to make effort to increase access to proper housing and provide safe and clean water and sanitation. We have to sustain and increase our immunisation coverage, vector control and strengthen epidemic preparedness.
Local government in particular has a major role in protecting our environment and we have to ensure that Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) of municipalities takes this into consideration. We know that major property development initiatives bring significant investment to our towns and cities. However, we have to ensure that a thorough environmental impact analysis is done and taken into consideration before these projects are approved.
We know that much progress has been made in improving the conditions under which our people living. StatsSA Community Survey (2007) reports that over 70% of households live in formal dwellings and the percentage of households where refuse is removed by a local authority at least once a week increased from 51,2% in 1996 to 60,1% in 2007.
There has been a decline in the percentage of households having to use the bucket toilet system and efforts are underway to have this derogatory system eradicated altogether. The percentage of households with access to piped water also increased from 84,5% in 2001 to 88,6% in 2007.
Use of electricity as the main energy source for lighting increased substantially from 57,6% in 1996 to 80,0% in 2007, reducing the chances of fire and other environmental risks associated with other sources of energy.
Multi-sectoral collaboration is necessary in improving our environment. As communities, we have to contribute by playing our role in preserving our environment and resources like participating in efforts to save water. For instance, there are streams that pass through our areas. We have to make sure that there is no dumping that will pollute the water. We should also organise ourselves and assist in cleaning these streams, which should in turn improve the quality of water that go through our rivers and end up in dams.
We have assist in efforts to save electricity. This is not only to address the current problems of power shortages but also to reduce the amount of coal burned to produce electricity. Indeed there should be more engagement on issues of sustainable alternative sources of energy.
As communities, we have to comply with municipal by-laws relating to the environment because most of these ultimately have a bearing on our health. Street vendors, for instance, have to sell in areas allocated by the municipality and we all have a responsibility not litter and to keep our townships and villages clean. We need the cooperation of everybody to ensure safe environment of everyone.
There is always so much to do to improve the environment within our communities. If people like you and I do not take steps to protect the environment, the beautiful land we have and animals will disappear.
Our country is one of the countries that are known to be climatically sensitive and issues of climate change are taken seriously at all levels. As a signatory to the UN Committee on Climate Change, we have to fulfil certain obligations including, among others, taking climate change considerations into account in the relevant social, economic and environmental policies and actions with a view to minimising adverse effects on the economy, on public health and on the quality of the environment.
In conclusion I would like us to remember that climate change can be prevented, and this we can do by choosing sustainable development paths that can assist with the effects of adverse climate change.
As we commemorate World Health Day, let us do so mindful of the responsibilities that each of us have in protecting humanity against possible disasters brought about by climate change. Let us work together to ensure environmental sustainability of our planet, Earth.
Thank you