MALNUTRITION: Cycle of floods, droughts aggravate malnutrition in Africa - WHO

11/25/10
Luanda – The cycle of floods and droughts that have become commonplace in various African countries are contributing to the aggravation of malnutrition in the region, due to the lack of food associated with poor harvest and production breakdown.
This was said Thursday in Luanda by the regional director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Luís Gomes Sambo.
Luís Gomes Sambo was speaking at the official opening of the 2nd Interministerial Conference on Health and Environment in Africa, whose ceremony was presided over by Angolan vice-president, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos.
The vice-president on the occasion stated that the recent floods in southern African countries, particularly in the border between Angola and Namibia, are examples of the phenomenon.
“The nutritional effects, the recurrent cycle of floods and drought go even farther and affect school performance of hit children,” he added.
According to him, many African countries are still unprepared to lessen the challenges of public health associated with climatic alterations for various reasons.
To him, these reasons are associated with the poor capacity to predict and face the natural phenomena, poor perception of the consequences of climatic alterations to the public health, inadequate articulation of the health and aid systems that are mostly fragile and incapable of responding to disasters and public health emergencies.
In view of the poor budgets allocated to the health and environment sectors, the World Health Organisation and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), with support from the Governments of France, Spain and other UN agencies, formulated technical instruments that facilitated the analysis of the situation and evaluation of the needs in 17 countries of the continent, it was said.
This process, according to the official, shall lead to the formulation of national joint plans of action and be financed in order to produce desired results.
The official also spoke of the urgent need for a speedier implementation of the Libreville Declaration on Health and Environment in Africa.
The analysis of the situation and evaluation of the needs conducted in the 17 countries show that it is possible to overcome the deficit of knowledge and mobilise the interest of governments and partners for the definition of pertinent policies in health and environment, Gomes Sambo also said.
According to him, the poor and marginalised populations are more exposed to environment and their effects on health.
Luís Gomes Sambo expressed the hope that the Luanda final commitment becomes a turn in the definition of policies and concrete actions, aimed at a sound environment and better climate for the African populations of the present and future.
http://www.portalangop.co.ao/motix/en_us/noticias/saude/2010/10/47/Cycle-floods-droughts-aggravate-malnutrition-Africa-WHO,e55f5135-7c26-43d0-8673-629acf30c190.html