The federal government has raised the alarm over the rising burden of respiratory, cardiovascular, and other environment-related diseases across Nigeria — stemming from an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
NAN reports that Balarabe Lawal, minister of environment,
spoke on Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ engagement on the National
Emergency Response to Environment-Related Diseases Arising from Greenhouse Gas
Emissions.
The meeting was organised by the Environmental Health
Council of Nigeria (EHCON).
Represented by Mahmud Kambari, the ministry’s permanent
secretary, Lawal said environmental surveillance, health data, and peer
assessments show a disturbing rise in illnesses associated with poor
environmental quality.
“Respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular conditions, and other
environmentally linked diseases are rising. What we are facing today is no
longer solely an environmental issue but a public health emergency,” he said.
“The burden of disease associated with poor environmental
quality is increasing faster than our health system can accommodate.
“Families are spending more on treatment, workforce
productivity is declining, and environmental degradation continues to undermine
our development goals.”
Lawal noted that the absence of a coordinated national
framework to address health risks from greenhouse gas emissions has worsened
the situation.
In response, he said the federal government has activated
the National Emergency Response Initiative on Environmental Public Health
Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (NERI-EPHIGGE).
The initiative aims to deliver immediate and long-term
interventions through strengthened regulations, nationwide environmental health
surveillance units, cleaner energy adoption, sustainable industrial practices,
low-emission transport, and public awareness campaigns.
The minister said it is a strategic and coordinated national
framework designed to reduce environmental health risks and improve population
health outcomes.
He added that tackling the crisis requires collective action
from government, regulators, industry, and the transport and energy sectors.
“The cost of inaction is greater than the cost of
intervention. The science is clear, the health evidence is undeniable, the
risks are immediate, and the time to act is now,” he said.
Lawal also commended EHCON for its foresight and
professionalism, describing the engagement as timely.
“Nigeria, like many rapidly developing nations, is
experiencing accelerated urbanisation, industrial expansion, rising energy
demand, and intensified transportation activities,” he said.
“These are indicators of economic growth and modernisation.
However, they have also resulted in a troubling increase in environmental
pollutants, particularly greenhouse gases, which have both direct and indirect
impacts on human health.”
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