Millions of people in my country, Malawi, face unprecedented existential crises driven by climate breakdown. The frequency of extreme weather events and the massive impact they have on communities have left government officials like me with a huge dilemma of how to act fast enough to save lives. In the past three years, we have gone from facing the worst flooding in recent times to the most severe drought in a decade. The impact has been devastating to communities across the country.
When Cyclone Freddy hit us in March 2023, it killed more than 600 people. The cyclone injured many more, tore families apart, destroyed livelihoods, and the long-term effects from diseases were even worse. A little over a year later, we were in the middle of a raging drought, which the president, Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, declared a national disaster in March. Millions of people are facing acute food insecurity, leading to malnutrition and health issues that are putting lives at risk, not least for people on long-term treatment for conditions such as tuberculosis and HIV.
Climatic stresses are increasing displacement and migration to urban areas, putting more strain on health systems and people’s mental health. Extreme weather events strain our health systems with injuries and a rise of sickness from diseases such as cholera and malaria. There are also long-term complications in prevention and treatment across health programmes due to the loss of essential medical supplies, equipment and infrastructure. Deaths surge because of these factors. After Cyclone Freddy, we had our worst ever cholera outbreak, which lasted over a year and killed more than 1,700 people. This year, we are battling malaria, which now accounts for almost 25% of hospital admissions. Women and girls, who already face challenges in terms of equality, access to resources and control over decision-making processes, are being disproportionately affected.