Last week, the National Health Institute (INS) launched a platform in the central region of the country to assess the impact of climate change on health, with a view to defining the best health responses.

The platform, according to the INS, will be implemented, in a first phase, in the districts of Dondo, Buzi and Nhamatanda, as an instrument to support the Ministry of Health in providing adequate responses to specific and localized needs in that region, which has been one of the worst affected by several cyclones in recent years.

According to Tatiana Marufo, coordinator of the health and environment area at the INS, "the new system will help identify and guarantee proper health care for communities in the event of natural disasters".

"We have huge expectations of this platform, as we want to work with the most vulnerable communities to try to understand why we subsequently have interruptions in healthcare provision. And so we will design the best interventions adapted to the context of each district, so that we have resilience," he concluded.

For her part, the Secretary of State for Sofala province, Cecília Chamutota, welcomed the initiative, stressing that "investment in health systems that are resilient to climate change is not a choice, but an imperative".

(Photo DR)