Oyo Launches Climate-Health Group To Tackle Growing Public Health Risks
The Oyo State Government has inaugurated a Technical Working Group on Climate and Health to strengthen the state’s response to the growing health impacts of climate change.
The group, inaugurated on Wednesday by the Ministry of Health in Ibadan, brings together relevant government agencies, health experts, development partners, academia and organisations including the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, said climate change was no longer merely an environmental concern but a growing public health challenge.
She said rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, flooding and environmental degradation were already contributing to heat-related illnesses, water- and vector-borne diseases, respiratory conditions, food insecurity and other health emergencies in the state.
Ajetunmobi said the new group would help the state anticipate climate-related health risks, strengthen preparedness and ensure continuity of essential health services during emergencies.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Akintunde Ayinde, represented by the Director of Tertiary Health Care Services, Dr. Idris Fasasi, said the initiative would shift the state from reacting to climate-related emergencies to proactive prevention and preparedness.
He said the group would strengthen disease surveillance and early-warning systems, identify vulnerable communities, mobilise sustainable financing and integrate climate-health concerns into government policies and budgets.
Ayinde also stressed the need to prioritise children, pregnant women, older persons, persons with disabilities, people living with chronic illnesses, farmers, outdoor workers and residents of flood-prone communities.
He called for stronger research collaboration with the University of Ibadan and other institutions to develop locally relevant responses to climate-related health challenges.
“Success will not be measured by the number of meetings or reports produced, but by whether our people become safer and our health system more resilient,” he said.
The Director of Public Health, Dr. Olaniyan Babatunde, urged members of the working group to remain committed and proactive in carrying out their responsibilities.
The inauguration, attended by government officials, technical experts, development partners and other stakeholders, is part of the state government’s efforts to build a climate-resilient health system.
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