Submission ID 118363
| Issue/Objective | Vulnerable communities often suffer from poor access to healthcare services, a condition intensified by the growing impacts of climate change. The Makoko community in Lagos, Nigeria - widely recognised as the world's largest floating slum - exemplifies how social vulnerability and environmental exposure combine to create severe health risks. This study explores how climate adaptation strategies can serve as dual-purpose interventions that mitigate climate impacts while revitalising healthcare systems in underserved areas. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Adopting a qualitative research design, the study employed field observations and in-depth interviews with Makoko residents and healthcare workers. The research sought to document prevailing health challenges and evaluate the community's resilience mechanisms in the face of climate events such as flooding and rising sea levels. The study explored sustainable healthcare initiatives for addressing climate vulnerability and healthcare disparities. |
| Results | Findings reveal a high risk of waterborne diseases, respiratory infections, and vector-borne illnesses in Makoko, exacerbated by overcrowding, poor sanitation, and environmental hazards. Climate change has significantly worsened these conditions, particularly through intensified flooding and rising sea levels. However, the study also highlights that healthcare inadequacies in Makoko are longstanding and systemic, predating the more recent climate impacts. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | The analysis suggests that climate-resilient healthcare interventions - such as mobile clinics, floating health centres, and improved sanitation infrastructure - can effectively address both environmental and health vulnerabilities. Climate adaptation should be reimagined as an opportunity for broader social development, including health system strengthening. This study calls on policymakers to view climate mitigation and adaptation not only as an environmental or economic imperative but as a catalyst for healthcare transformation in marginalised communities. Integrating climate adaptation with public health planning can amplify the benefits of both agendas, ensuring more resilient and equitable outcomes. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Kingsley Ogunne Obafemi Awolowo University Kingsley Ogunne Obafemi Awolowo University |
