1. Situational Analysis and Needs Assessment: CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH IN ETHIOPIA Establishing a GEOHealth Hub for East Africa
School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
&
University of Southern California, USA

2. Acknowledgements Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health (MOH),
Ministry of Water Resources and Energy,
Public Health Emergency Management of MOH,
Federal Environmental Protection Authority (EPA),
Disaster Risk Management and Food Security System (DRMFSS), and
National Meteorological Agency (NMA)

3. Introduction
Climate change is of critical strategic importance to Ethiopia
To increase between 0.7°C and 2.3°C by the 2020’s and of between 1.4°C and 2.9°C by the 2050s.
Precipitation variability: less confident than temperature changes because of regional processes.
Shifts in seasons of highest interest, yet uncertainty is the highest
hold back economic progress made in Ethiopia’s development and could exacerbate social and economic problems
GDP rises or falls about a year behind changes in average rainfall.

4. Objective
assess the country’s existing situation in issues related to the environment, climate change, and occupational health, and
to identify gaps and needs for research, training, and capacity building projects.
Methods
review of available secondary data and
interviewing key informants

5. Situational analysis The state of climate in Ethiopia
high inter-annual rainfall variability
non-uniform and varies by the region or period of time used for analysis
Changes in the frequency of extreme events
frequency and magnitude of droughts has increased over the past few decades
Flooding is the second most important natural disaster and its increasing occurrence is adding more stress

6. Impacts of Climate Change
Agriculture
Water
Energy
Industry
Transport
Climate change-related health problems

7. climate-sensitive diseases
Vector-borne diseases: malaria, trypanosomiasis, onchocerciasis, Leshmaniasis
Soil-transmitted Helminthiases (STHs)
Water-borne diseases: schistosomiasis, diarrhoeal disease
Zoonotic diseases
Air Pollution
Nutrition and related impact

8. Policy, Adaptation and Response to Climate Change
National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA)
The Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE)
Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA)
Ethiopia’s Programme of Adaptation to Climate Change (EPACC)

9. Ethiopia has launched its Climate-Resilient Green Economy initiative (CRGE) with 2 main objectives
Development
initiatives
Resilient economy
Build the capacity of the economy to cope with the adverse consequences of climate change
Green growth path Reach middle income threshold by 2025 and keep growth carbon neutral
Green
economy
Resilient
economy
CRGE
Abatement/ avoidance
initiatives
Resilience
initiatives

10. Gap analysis Organizational gaps
Lack of well-organized structure in the regional and Federal EPAs
Lack of inter-sectoral collaboration
no strong specific units in each institution that can lead and organize the climate change related activities
Poor coordination and communication among different stakeholders
Limited involvement of private sector and CBOs

11. Training gaps Research gaps
inadequately trained in the specific relevant techniques in the areas of climate change and health
Lack of training on special skill development
lack proper awareness and knowledge
Research gaps
inadequate research on climate change related health outcomes
Lack of research capacity among experts and equipment limitation
Lack of baseline information
Lack of laboratories
Shortage of funds
Lack of specific training

12. Institutional capacity
Lack of technologies that fit the local setting and shortage of capital to adopt the new technology
Lack of trained personnel and experts on climate change and health
Very long and inefficient procurement system
Financial capacity
financial capital
Policy gaps
Policies and proclamations on climate change and health
Climate change has not been recognized as a public health threat in the 1994 health policy of the country.
Monitoring and Evaluation

13. Priority needs for intervention
Increasing community awareness and knowledge
Trained personnel on climate change and health
Strengthen research capacity
Establishing climate change & health research centers.
Build national & international research collaborations
Updating existing and developing new policies and strategies in line with current international and national standards.
Mainstream climate change and health at different organizations and academic/research institutes

14. Conclusion
Additional and well-targeted efforts need to be in place to halt the current weak multidimensional climate change induced problems through organized community, professional, and organizational collaboration and networking.
Capacity building
Research
Community outreach