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The health impact of extreme weather events in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

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  • Wang, Limin
  • Kanji, Shireen
  • Bandyopadhyay, Sushenjit

Abstract

Extreme weather events are known to have serious consequences for human health and are predicted to increase in frequency as a result of climate change. Africa is one of the regions that risks being most seriously affected. This paper quantifies the impact of extreme rainfall and temperature events on the incidence of diarrhea, malnutrition and mortality in young children in Sub-Saharan Africa. The panel data set is constructed from Demographic and Health Surveys for 108 regions from 19 Sub-Saharan African countries between 1992 and 2001 and climate data from the Africa Rainfall and Temperature Evaluation System from 1980 to 2001. The results show that both excess rainfall and extreme temperatures significantly raise the incidence of diarrhea and weight-for-height malnutrition among children under the age of three, but have little impact on the long-term health indicators, including height-for-age malnutrition and the under-five mortality rate. The authors use the results to simulate the additional health cost as a proportion of gross domestic product caused by increased climate variability. The projected health cost of increased diarrhea attributable to climate change in 2020 is in the range of 0.2 to 0.5 percent of gross domestic product in Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Limin & Kanji, Shireen & Bandyopadhyay, Sushenjit, 2009. "The health impact of extreme weather events in Sub-Saharan Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4979, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4979
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    Cited by:

    1. Backer, David & Billing, Trey, 2024. "Forecasting the prevalence of child acute malnutrition using environmental and conflict conditions as leading indicators," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    2. Fritz, Manuela, 2021. "Temperature and non-communicable diseases: Evidence from Indonesia's primary health care system," Passauer Diskussionspapiere, Volkswirtschaftliche Reihe V-84-21, University of Passau, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    3. Alfani, Federica & Dabalen, Andrew & Fisker, Peter & Molini, Vasco, 2019. "Vulnerability to stunting in the West African Sahel," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 39-47.
    4. Sara L. M. Trærup & Ramon A. Ortiz & Anil Markandya, 2011. "The Costs of Climate Change: A Study of Cholera in Tanzania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-20, November.
    5. Katherine E. Bishop-Williams & Lea Berrang-Ford & Jan M. Sargeant & David L. Pearl & Shuaib Lwasa & Didacus Bambaiha Namanya & Victoria L. Edge & Ashlee Cunsolo & IHACC Research Team & Bwindi Communit, 2018. "Understanding Weather and Hospital Admissions Patterns to Inform Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in the Healthcare Sector in Uganda," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-14, October.
    6. Aimable Nsabimana & Justice Tei Mensah, 2020. "Weather shocks and child nutrition: Evidence from Tanzania," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-57, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Fanzo, Jessica & McLaren, Rebecca & Davis, Claire & Choufani, Jowel, 2017. "Climate change and variability: What are the risks for nutrition, diets, and food systems?," IFPRI discussion papers 1645, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Manuela K. Fritz, 2021. "Temperature and non-communicable diseases: Evidence from Indonesia's primary health care system," Working Papers 206, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health Monitoring&Evaluation; Science of Climate Change; Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases; Population Policies; Disease Control&Prevention;
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