April 3, 2026
By Dr. Majid Rafizadeh
Scientific evidence indicates that climate change is affecting the essential determinants of health, such as clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food and secure shelter. This ratchets up existing health burdens and creates new ones across the world.
Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is projected to cause about 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress. This will have direct costs for global health systems. More importantly, regions with weaker health infrastructure, particularly in low‑income countries, will bear the most severe impacts.
To address the issue effectively, we must first understand the mechanisms through which climate change affects health. This process has many interrelated dimensions.
To begin with, rising global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events, such as heat waves, floods and droughts, directly increase morbidity and mortality. Indirectly, this also disrupts food and water systems and increases mental health stresses arising from displacement, as well as the loss of livelihoods.
Climate change can also be viewed as a threat multiplier. On the one hand, it exacerbates health risks already experienced by vulnerable populations. And on the other, it disproportionately affects those least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.
Recent scientific analyses further highlight the emerging dimensions of climate‑related health risks. A study recently published in The Lancet Global Health projects that climate change is contributing to a growing physical inactivity crisis by reducing safe opportunities for outdoor movement as temperatures rise. This inactivity, linked to chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, could result in hundreds of thousands of additional premature deaths annually by mid‑century.
Within this global context, Southern Africa, one of the world’s most vulnerable regions, exemplifies how climate change magnifies existing health vulnerabilities and reveals structural gaps.
The Southern African Development Community countries — including Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe — contribute an insignificant share of global greenhouse gas emissions yet face disproportionate climate‑induced health risks due to high socioeconomic vulnerability.
Projections highlight that Southern Africa is experiencing warming at a rate higher than the global average, with potential temperature increases up to several degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century.
Such warming increases heat stress and susceptibility to heat‑related illnesses, particularly among outdoor laborers, children and the elderly. It also affects other vulnerable populations that lack access to adequate cooling infrastructure and healthcare support. Heat stress not only leads to acute morbidity, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, but also contributes to renal and cardiovascular stress.
Infectious diseases are another pressing concern. Changing temperature and precipitation patterns expand the potential range of diseases such as malaria and dengue. Furthermore, compromised water and food systems due to droughts or flood damage heighten risks of waterborne and foodborne illnesses. These illnesses disproportionately affect infants, children and other vulnerable populations.
Another issue is that environmental degradation and food insecurity in one nation can strain regional markets and cross‑border supply chains. This impacts food access and economic stability in neighboring countries. Such ripple effects show that health security, when it comes to climate change, cannot be confined to one place.
Unfortunately, mental health burdens are also often overlooked in climate discussions. The mental health consequences of climate change warrant considerable attention. Repeated exposure to extreme weather events, loss of homes and livelihoods, and chronic stress contribute to heightened rates of anxiety, depression and other psychosocial disorders.
The interplay of climate change with human health in Southern Africa points to another important issue: the transboundary dimension of climate health risks. Health challenges triggered by climate change in one region or national context do not remain isolated. Instead, they reverberate regionally and globally through paths such as migration, infectious disease spread and economic interconnectedness.
In addition, displacement due to climate disasters can result in cross‑border movements that stress regional health systems. This interconnectedness again affirms that climate change is not solely an environmental or economic challenge but a global public health concern requiring a collective response.
As a result, it is critical to bring up the principles of climate justice and equity. Those people most vulnerable to climate‑induced health impacts — often in low‑income countries or marginalized communities — have contributed the least to the historical accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet they bear disproportionate health burdens, highlighting a fundamental inequity.
High‑emitting nations should provide assistance to these countries, including financial support and investments in climate‑resilient infrastructure and health services. In general, we should integrate health considerations into climate policy at national and international levels as well.
In a nutshell, the nexus between climate change and human health should not be overlooked. In Southern Africa, as in many vulnerable regions, climate change is amplifying health risks. These risks include the physiological, infectious, nutritional and psychosocial domains, with many effects that extend beyond national borders.
As a result, it is vital to recognize climate change as a central determinant of health. And we need genuine international cooperation rooted in the principles of climate justice. Without such collective action, the health consequences of climate change will continue to worsen.
By Dr. Majid Rafizadeh
Scientific evidence indicates that climate change is affecting the essential determinants of health, such as clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food and secure shelter. This ratchets up existing health burdens and creates new ones across the world.
Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is projected to cause about 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress. This will have direct costs for global health systems. More importantly, regions with weaker health infrastructure, particularly in low‑income countries, will bear the most severe impacts.
To address the issue effectively, we must first understand the mechanisms through which climate change affects health. This process has many interrelated dimensions.
To begin with, rising global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events, such as heat waves, floods and droughts, directly increase morbidity and mortality. Indirectly, this also disrupts food and water systems and increases mental health stresses arising from displacement, as well as the loss of livelihoods.
Climate change can also be viewed as a threat multiplier. On the one hand, it exacerbates health risks already experienced by vulnerable populations. And on the other, it disproportionately affects those least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.
Recent scientific analyses further highlight the emerging dimensions of climate‑related health risks. A study recently published in The Lancet Global Health projects that climate change is contributing to a growing physical inactivity crisis by reducing safe opportunities for outdoor movement as temperatures rise. This inactivity, linked to chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, could result in hundreds of thousands of additional premature deaths annually by mid‑century.
Within this global context, Southern Africa, one of the world’s most vulnerable regions, exemplifies how climate change magnifies existing health vulnerabilities and reveals structural gaps.
The Southern African Development Community countries — including Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe — contribute an insignificant share of global greenhouse gas emissions yet face disproportionate climate‑induced health risks due to high socioeconomic vulnerability.
Projections highlight that Southern Africa is experiencing warming at a rate higher than the global average, with potential temperature increases up to several degrees Celsius by the end of the 21st century.
Such warming increases heat stress and susceptibility to heat‑related illnesses, particularly among outdoor laborers, children and the elderly. It also affects other vulnerable populations that lack access to adequate cooling infrastructure and healthcare support. Heat stress not only leads to acute morbidity, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, but also contributes to renal and cardiovascular stress.
Infectious diseases are another pressing concern. Changing temperature and precipitation patterns expand the potential range of diseases such as malaria and dengue. Furthermore, compromised water and food systems due to droughts or flood damage heighten risks of waterborne and foodborne illnesses. These illnesses disproportionately affect infants, children and other vulnerable populations.
Another issue is that environmental degradation and food insecurity in one nation can strain regional markets and cross‑border supply chains. This impacts food access and economic stability in neighboring countries. Such ripple effects show that health security, when it comes to climate change, cannot be confined to one place.
Unfortunately, mental health burdens are also often overlooked in climate discussions. The mental health consequences of climate change warrant considerable attention. Repeated exposure to extreme weather events, loss of homes and livelihoods, and chronic stress contribute to heightened rates of anxiety, depression and other psychosocial disorders.
The interplay of climate change with human health in Southern Africa points to another important issue: the transboundary dimension of climate health risks. Health challenges triggered by climate change in one region or national context do not remain isolated. Instead, they reverberate regionally and globally through paths such as migration, infectious disease spread and economic interconnectedness.
In addition, displacement due to climate disasters can result in cross‑border movements that stress regional health systems. This interconnectedness again affirms that climate change is not solely an environmental or economic challenge but a global public health concern requiring a collective response.
As a result, it is critical to bring up the principles of climate justice and equity. Those people most vulnerable to climate‑induced health impacts — often in low‑income countries or marginalized communities — have contributed the least to the historical accumulation of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet they bear disproportionate health burdens, highlighting a fundamental inequity.
High‑emitting nations should provide assistance to these countries, including financial support and investments in climate‑resilient infrastructure and health services. In general, we should integrate health considerations into climate policy at national and international levels as well.
In a nutshell, the nexus between climate change and human health should not be overlooked. In Southern Africa, as in many vulnerable regions, climate change is amplifying health risks. These risks include the physiological, infectious, nutritional and psychosocial domains, with many effects that extend beyond national borders.
As a result, it is vital to recognize climate change as a central determinant of health. And we need genuine international cooperation rooted in the principles of climate justice. Without such collective action, the health consequences of climate change will continue to worsen.
This article was published at Arab News
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh
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