DR GITHINJI GITAHI
SUSTAINABLE FINANCE
The impacts of heat on health The report says that on average, 16 of the 19 life-threatening heatwave days people were exposed to annually between 2020 and 2024 would not have occurred without climate change.
Between 2012 and 2021, nearly 1 % of all deaths were associated with heat, the report found.
In low Human Development Index( HDI) countries this percentage reached 1.73 %, compared to 0.53 % in very high HDI countries.
Between 1990 and 1999, heatrelated mortality averaged 5.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
This figure increased to 7.2 deaths per 100,000 between 2012 and 2021.
Increased heat can also impact sleep, with an increase of 9 % sleep loss in 2024 from baseline. The report says this is the largest percentage increase in lost sleep in the past decade.
Dr Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO of AMREF Health Africa, says:“ This report once again provides strong evidence that the impact of climate change is being counted not just in degrees and carbon metric tonnes but in lives lost.
“ The science reflects what communities across Africa experience daily – bearing the brunt of increasing heat-related deaths, rising infectious disease threats and growing food and water insecurity.
“ Health is the human face of climate change.”
DR GITHINJI GITAHI
TITLE: GROUP CEO
COMPANY: AMREF HEALTH AFRICA
INDUSTRY: NGO
Dr Githinji Gitahi joined AMREF Health Africa as the Global Chief Executive Officer in June 2015. The organisation provides training and health services to more than 20 million people annually.