Health experts say next week's Africa Climate Summit offers a high-stakes opportunity to prioritise a sector that is on the frontline of the human impacts of global warming.
In Southern Africa, countries such as Botswana, eSwatini, Namibia, and Zimbabwe have experienced a dramatic surge in malaria cases in 2025 after a drought followed by above-average rainfall led to optimum conditions for mosquito breeding.
These climate change impacts cause life-threatening harm to communities across Africa - particularly for women and children - while further burdening already stressed health systems.