Climate change impact mitigation in Africa, global priority

Mitigation of climate change in Africa "must remain an immediate and urgent global priority", said Tuesday in Geneva minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform, Abdelmalek Boudiaf. Speaking at the works of the 67th session of the World Health Assembly which takes place from May 19 to 24 in Geneva (Switzerland), Boudiaf noted that African countries "are currently the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change and the least prepared to effectively cope with this impact, without being responsible for it." In this regard, Boudiaf lamented that even the efforts of African countries in development and those under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), "are undermined," recalling that Africa, including Algeria, is exposed to risks and other factors resulting vulnerability to climate change. Besides, desertification, Boudiaf gave the example of low rainfall, drought, floods, soil degradation, and loss of biodiversity and oasis salinisation, stressing the urgent need to adapt to this phenomenon and mitigate its effects.  Also, Boudiaf underscored the need the importance of including health as "priority" in global development goals by 2030 because "the effects of climate change are increasing risk factors for environment and health." In addition, Boudiaf welcomed the consolidation of cooperation between Algeria and the World Health Organization (WHO) and reiterated the commitment and readiness of Algeria to work to strengthen its cooperation with UNAIDS, particularly in anticipation of the establishment of a regional Centre for cooperation and Research on AIDS. He recalled that Algeria's interest attaches to the WHO reform process to achieve a rationalization of expenditure in the context of the challenges of budgetary resources.