The Minister of Health and Social Welfare has appealed to the public to join hands and implement activities intended to protect people's health from climate change.

Addressing the public at the occasion held at Seforong in Quthing to mark the World Health Day under the theme “Protecting Health From Climate Change”, Dr Mphu Ramatlapeng said climate change puts the lives of the community at risk.

She said human beings are already exposed to the effects of climate sensitive diseases that include diarrhea and malnutrition, adding that climate change also affects other living things that include plants, insects, birds and animal species.

The Ministry of Health supports all activities aimed at protecting children and youth in problems caused by climate change, supports activities undertaken to protect health from climate change and would undertake health and climate change education, she said.

Speaking at the same occasion, the Assistant Minister of Labour and Employment, and also Member of Parliament for Qhoali Constituency, Mrs. ‘Matanki Mokhabi said climate change has caused drought that she said has led to the prevailing hunger in the country.

Mrs. Mokhabi said climate change has also caused soil erosion, urging the public to engage in environment management activities that include tree planting, grass reseeding and donga rehabilitation for recovery of eroded land.

Reading the message of World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Luis Sambo, WHO Representative to Lesotho, Dr Angela Benson said climate change is one of the most critical global challenges.

She said climate change is an emerging threat to health security and puts additional pressure on public health systems worldwide, even more so in developing countries. Hence, the theme for World Health Day 2008 “Protecting Health from Climate Change” encourages people to be more cautious on health issues and environment.

She further said protecting health from climate change requires proactive action to address the current deficiencies in health protection systems and additional health security risk management challenges.

She noted that WHO is preparing a global strategy and action plan to support Member States in developing their capacity for effective interventions to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Dr Benson said every country, community and individual could contribute daily to mitigate climate change, adding that all need to know and understand why climate is changing and what everyone could do to protect health from climate change.

Present at the occasion included chiefs, District Administrator, health personnel, school children, community councilors, public servants and public.

The United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change describes climate change as a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.

The World Health Day is celebrated annually on April 7th to mark the founding of WHO and to raise awareness of key global public health challenges. This year celebration marked WHO 60th anniversary.

Source: LENA 08/05/2008