Media Monitoring

Climate-induced demand growth for pharmaceuticals in Africa bumps up against weight-loss drugs: South Africa’s public health care system has run out of the human insulin pens that it provides to people with diabetes, as the pharmaceutical industry shifts production priorities to blockbuster weight-loss drugs that use a similar device for delivery. Novo Nordisk, the company that has supplied South Africa with human insulin in pens for a decade, opted not to renew its contract, which expired last month. No other company has bid on the contract — to supply 14 million pens for the next three years, at about $2 per pen.

East African new severe weather preparedness will benefit medical responses: The WMO Severe Weather Forecasting Programme (SWFP) for Eastern Africa will be stepping up efforts to enhance impact-based forecasting and early warning services following a pivotal meeting in Tanzania. Why this matters: Extreme weather severely impacts medical support. Cyclone Idai disrupted the drug supply of more than 185,000 Zimbabweans living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Roads were flooded and bridges destroyed. Almost a fifth of the clinics where patients receive vital antiretroviral therapy were unreachable in affected areas. So far, few solutions are available. But scientists are now using artificial intelligence to predict extreme weather in the region which could help save lives as climate change becomes more severe. The United Nations World Food Programme is working with researchers from the University of Oxford University physics department to develop a reliable AI weather forecasting system through machine learning.

East African health systems struggle to manage fallout from floods: They have resulted in water-borne and vector-borne diseases like cholera and malaria. Local NGOs, hindered by inadequate emergency response budgets and limited funding flexibility, find it challenging to address these crises effectively. The region’s health infrastructure is further weakened by corruption and lack of access to technological advancements. Despite efforts from civil society, governments, and humanitarian agencies, the recovery is slow. The affected communities are facing prolonged displacement, disease outbreaks, and malnutrition. This scenario highlights the urgent need for better investment and preparedness in the face of climate change.

Climate change gives push for local manufacturing in the African health sector: Climate change in Africa increases health crises by compounding the heavy disease burden and socioeconomic challenges. These lead to increased vulnerability to infectious diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. Extreme weather events disrupt supply chains, highlighting the continent's reliance on imported medical supplies. Local manufacturing of health commodities is essential for improving health outcomes and economic benefits. Advocates push for robust and sustainable health systems, emphasising the need for local vaccine and medicine production. Collaborative efforts, effective regulatory frameworks, and investment in local innovation are crucial for achieving health equity and resilience in the face of climate-related challenges.