The health burden of climate change is enormous, and the annual adaptation financing gap for health in LMIC is estimated at USD 11 billion. However, health accounts for less than 0.5% of multilateral funding for climate financing. Limited awareness of health priorities within multilateral climate funds has been recognized as a key barrier, in addition to technical capacity gaps and difficulties aligning health priorities with climate funding criteria. To address the above, DGI Consult organized a webinar that focused on “Unlocking Climate Finance for Health’’ to discuss climate finance opportunities for health and chart a course of action for harnessing such opportunities. 

The webinar was moderated by Dr. Gafar Alawode (CEO, DGI Consult), featuring five erudite speakers including policymakers, climate finance experts, academia, and others. These include (a) Habib Abubakar, an experienced climate finance expert with Islamic Development Bank (IsDB); (b) Professor Josephine Borghi, a Professor of Health Economics and Research Expert on climate change and health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; (c) Dr Shekwonugaza Gwamna, Nasarawa State Honourable Commissioner for Health; (d) Dr Zakariya Muhammad, Director of Climate Change and Environmental Health, Federal Ministry of Health; and (e) Rukayya Muhammad, Desk Officer for Climate Change and Health at National Council on Climate Change. The webinar was heralded with an overview of the health burden of climate change by Dr Gafar Alawode, highlighting the varying impacts on different disease conditions. He Highlighted that climate change accounts for almost 250,000 additional deaths every year, requiring more than $11 billion annually to finance the adaptation in the health sector. While multilateral funding opportunities and other sources of funding exist for climate change adaptation, the health sector often receives a disproportionately small proportion of these funds.

“Climate change accounts for 21% increase in the burden of disease in Nigeria.”

Dr. Zakaria Muhammad, Director of Climate Change and Environmental Health at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health, shared insights into Nigeria’s ongoing policy actions for climate change. He highlighted that Nigeria has successfully conducted its Vulnerability and Adaptation (VA) assessment following Nigeria’s COP26 commitments. The VA assessment serves as a reference for understanding the country’s specific vulnerabilities to climate change.  The Vulnerability and Adaptation (VA) Assessment has revealed that Nigeria is expected to experience an additional 21% increase in disease burden due to climate-related challenges, Dr. Muhammad stated. He elaborated that this increase is a due to rising temperatures, and extreme weather events, which are expected to lead to a surge in heat-related illnesses and vector-borne diseases. He noted that heat-related illnesses are expected to double from 2.5 to 5.0 per 100,000 annually, while diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, and hypertension are also projected to rise, with diabetes cases alone increasing by an estimated 450,000, and cardiovascular disease will increase by about 10% by 2030. Other health issues linked to climate change include cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and respiratory problems from air pollution.

As part of its commitment, Nigeria is currently developing the Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP). Dr. Muhammad noted that the HNAP has undergone a rigorous two-layer validation process, involving key stakeholders from various ministries, development partners, and public health officials from across the states. The HNAP is designed to span from 2025 to 2030 and will serve as a national framework for implementing climate and health strategies. He stressed the importance of building partnerships with state-level actors to ensure adaptation efforts are context-specific and impactful. “We must work closely with state governments to develop localized adaptation plans that reflect each state’s unique vulnerabilities and health needs,” he said.

In addition to adaptation efforts, Nigeria is also focusing on mitigation strategies, recognizing that both approaches are essential for effective climate action. The integration of health considerations into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is a key priority for the Nigerian government as it seeks to align its climate initiatives with global commitments.

“There is a need to project more evidence on the health impacts of climate change and the co-benefits of climate finance”

Professor Josephine Borghi with a keynote presentation on “Climate and Health Financing, Opportunities and Challenges.” Professor Borghi emphasized the critical role of financing in addressing health adaptation needs, highlighting how extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and landslides lead to displacement, infrastructure collapse, and loss of livelihoods, all of which directly affect the health sector. These events also reduce tax revenues, thereby constraining already tight health budgets. “The health sector is at risk of being left behind unless it builds a robust financing narrative,” she added. Further highlighted the need for a rethinking of financing sources and mechanisms to make the health sector climate adaptive, exploring options like multilateral funds, loss and damage funds, carbon credits, carbon pricing and social protection/insurance. Professor Borghi emphasized the importance of documenting climate-related damage to health facilities and monitoring increases in morbidity and mortality to justify new investments. She also called on policymakers to design climate finance initiatives that produce dual benefits: reducing emissions while strengthening health system resilience.

“There is a need for sensitization to fully understand the health impacts of climate change and bridge the knowledge gap among health stakeholders,”

Representing the subnational perspective, Dr. Shekwonugaza Gwamna, the Nasarawa State Honorable Commissioner for Health emphasized the state’s commitment to aligning with national level by putting necessary policy framework in place as it prepares to domesticate the Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP) for climate change to the context of Nasarawa State. He underscored the necessity of a multi-sectoral approach adopted by the state towards mitigating the health burden posed by climate change by engaging the environment, agriculture, education, water, and urban development sectors.

Dr. Gwamna acknowledged that many health stakeholders lack adequate knowledge on the nexus between climate change and health, emphasizing the need for sensitization to fully understand the health impacts of climate change and bridge the knowledge gap among health stakeholders. He expressed his commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and development partners to roll out effective and sustainable climate-health interventions in Nasarawa State.

“The Islamic Development Bank has a country engagement framework to support social development in countries to provide targeted assistance in climate and health.”

Habib Abubakar, Senior Climate Change Specialist at the Islamic Development Bank speaking on the IDB’s impact on climate health financing, stated that the bank’s climate change policy is designed to enhance adaptation efforts, with health as a key focus. IsDB is a partner in the WHO-led Health Impact Investment initiative, which seeks to increase financing for primary healthcare services in developing countries. In order to mainstream the climate and health considerations, IsDB integrates adaptation and mitigation strategies into project designs, such as hospital reconstruction and primary healthcare services. The bank has committed to achieving 35% of its total financing for climate-related initiatives by 2025 and has already met this target, with 47% of its $5.2 billion investment last year allocated to climate-related financing. He explained that the IDB’s Country Engagement Framework, designed to support inclusive social development, will be introduced in Nigeria soon. “The Islamic Development Bank has a country engagement framework tailored to support social development. Soon, this framework will be introduced in Nigeria to provide targeted assistance, including in climate and health,” he said. He identified minimal capacity of health sector actors to articulate bankable climate adaptation projects and emphasized the need for capacity-building initiatives to help Nigeria stakeholders design and submit bankable climate health proposals.

“The NCCC is mandated to ensure that all climate and health adaptation interventions and information are effectively mainstreamed.”

Representing the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Rukayya Muhammad, Desk Officer for Climate Change and Health, outlined the Council’s mandate as the national focal point for climate finance, tasked with mainstreaming climate action across all sectors.

“The NCCC is mandated to ensure that all climate and health adaptation interventions and information are effectively mainstreamed,” she said. Rukayya called for stronger collaboration between the health sector and the NCCC to ensure financing mechanisms reflect the health sector’s priorities. She urged health professionals and policymakers to take an active role in communicating their needs and aligning with national climate strategies to improve their eligibility for international financing.

Looking Ahead

The webinar concluded with a collective call to action. Speakers identified specific climate finance opportunities for health and provided tips on accessing these opportunities towards integrating climate resilience into the health sector development plan. The webinar also served as a platform for policymakers to explore partnership opportunities with climate finance institutions, academia, and the NCCC. With the right financing and collaboration, Nigeria can become a model for integrating climate and health in Africa and beyond. To further sustain the momentum from the discussion, DGI Consult has established the Nigeria Climate Change and Health Assembly (NCCHA), which brings together a diverse array of stakeholders committed to advancing the climate change and health agenda in Nigeria.

Watch the full Webinar Recording