Joint press release of the Ministry of Health, WHO and UNICEF

Government of Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world to

commemorate World Health Day

Harare, 8 April 2022 - Today, The Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) joins the rest of
the world to mark World Health Day 2022. This year’s theme “Our planet: Our health”
advocates for global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet
healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being.
Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity contributing to
environmental risks that are killing around 13 million people every year. Zimbabwe has not
been spared from the devastating impacts of climate change with heavy rainfalls, characterized
by floods and cyclones as well as droughts.
“Climate Change has the potential to stall the country’s development, pose a serious risk to food
security, health, and adaptive capacity. Our Government has shown its commitment to address
climate change through our National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) which seeks to
establish specific provisions for dealing with climate changes issues, understanding the extent of
the threat, and putting in place specific actions to manage potential impacts. In addition, our
commitment to develop a climate-resilient Zimbabwe has also been demonstrated by the
elevation of the Climate Change Office into a fully-fledged Climate Change Department,” noted
Honorable, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr. John Mangwiro.
According to the meteorological services of Zimbabwe, since 1987 the country has experienced
its six warmest years on record, with daily minimum and maximum temperatures having risen
by approximately 2°C over the past century. This has seen the country experience extremes of
weather over the past two decades. We have had to deal with 10 droughts, decreased
freshwater and destroyed biodiversity.
“Children and young people are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change which are
becoming more widespread. As extreme weather events such as cyclones, droughts and heat
waves increase in frequency and ferocity, we are seeing the impact on access to water, food and
implication for the nutrition of children. While UNICEF acknowledges the Climate Change
Response Strategy of the Government, I call on relevant authorities to put in place risk-informed
policies and programmes that place the issues of children and the climate at the centre of
national strategies,” said UNICEF Representative, Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale.
Due to climate change, Zimbabwe experienced the cyclone Idai in 2019 which affected more
than 270 000 people, killing over 341 people, and destroying infrastructure, including clinics.
The country also suffered the tropical cyclones Anna amongst other climate shocks, signaling an
urgent need for all stakeholders to respond to the climate change challenges.
In Zimbabwe, if not mitigated, climate change will cause average temperatures to rise by about
3°C before the end of this century. Annual rainfall could decline by between 5% and 18%,
especially in the south. Rainfall will become more variable. There will be an increase in
droughts, floods and storms. This will affect Zimbabwe’s food, security, health, energy supply
and the economy.
“Climate change is disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in
communities who include women and children, ethnic minorities and those with underlying
health conditions among others. There is need for increased funding to mitigate these effects of
climate change and protect those vulnerable. This will contribute to building healthier
populations in line with the universal health coverage goal of leaving no one behind,” said WHO
Zimbabwe Country Representative Dr Gasasira.
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Each and every one of us needs to play their part on reducing climate change. We can all
take basic steps to reduce climate change by
1. Transport: Walk/pedal to work at least one day a week; choose public transport.
2. Energy: change to a renewable energy such as solar; don’t heat your rooms over 21.5C, turn
off the light when not in the room, save energy.
3. Nutrition: Buy your groceries from local producers and avoid ultra-processed food.
4. Healthy lifestyles: Tobacco is a killer and a polluter. Stop smoking.

For more information, please contact:

 Mr Paul Chinakidzwa, MoHCC Health Promotion Manager
 Tatenda Ann Chimbwanda, Communications Officer, WHO, chimbwandat@who.int
 Mr Yves Willemot, Chief Communication, UNICEF Zimbabwe, ywillemot@unicef.org