Climate Change has become a Public Health Information Challenge. Climate change is no longer solely an environmental or meteorological concern; it is an increasingly significant determinant of population health. In Nigeria, rising temperatures, recurrent flooding, prolonged drought, worsening air pollution, and changing patterns of vector-borne diseases are placing additional pressure on already constrained health systems. However, one of the least recognised barriers to effective adaptation is the persistent gap between scientific evidence and community understanding of climate-related health risks.
This gap creates fertile ground for misinformation. During climate emergencies, rumours frequently spread faster than verified health information, influencing behaviours that increase disease transmission, delay treatment seeking, and weaken public confidence in health authorities. Building climate-health literacy must therefore become a core function of resilient primary health care and risk communication systems.
STRENGTHENING CLIMATE-HEALTH LITERACY THROUGH PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
Climate-health literacy extends beyond awareness of climate change. It encompasses the ability of individuals and communities to understand how climate hazards affect nutrition, water quality, infectious diseases, respiratory conditions, heat-related illness, mental health, maternal and child health, and livelihoods. Equally important is the capacity to identify trusted information sources and translate knowledge into practical protective actions.
Nigeria's experience illustrates this challenge. The 2022 nationwide floods affected more than 4.4 million people across 34 states, displaced approximately 2.4 million individuals, and substantially increased the risk of cholera, malaria, diarrhoeal diseases, and acute malnutrition. Yet post-emergency assessments revealed that misconceptions regarding contaminated floodwater, disease causation, and preventive practices remained widespread in many communities, limiting the effectiveness of emergency health interventions.
Similarly, heat exposure is becoming an under-recognised public health threat.
In several northern states, daytime temperatures exceeding 40°C have become increasingly common. Nevertheless, many outdoor workers, farmers, transport operators, and market traders remain unfamiliar with early symptoms of heat exhaustion or dehydration, often regarding these conditions as routine fatigue rather than preventable medical emergencies.
Embedding climate-health literacy within primary healthcare services enables frontline health workers to provide preventive education alongside routine maternal and child health services, immunisation, nutrition counselling, disease surveillance, and community outreach. This integrated approach strengthens both health promotion and community resilience.
TRANSLATING SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE INTO COMMUNITY ACTION
Effective climate-health communication requires translating complex meteorological forecasts and epidemiological surveillance data into language that reflects local realities and cultural contexts. A seasonal weather forecast predicting above-normal rainfall becomes meaningful when accompanied by practical guidance on household water treatment, protection of drinking-water sources, mosquito breeding prevention, safe sanitation practices, oral rehydration therapy, and early recognition of cholera symptoms. Likewise, air-quality advisories should be linked with recommendations for protecting children, older persons, pregnant women, and individuals living with asthma or chronic respiratory diseases.
This process requires collaboration between meteorological agencies, public health institutions, universities, community health workers, civil society organisations, and media professionals to ensure scientific accuracy while maintaining cultural relevance. For example, community radio stations broadcasting in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and other indigenous languages can simplify technical weather forecasts into locally understandable public health messages. During the 2022 flood emergency, local volunteers in several communities assisted households in identifying safe water sources and promoting the use of oral rehydration salts, demonstrating how locally adapted communication can improve emergency response.
MOBILISING TRUSTED LOCAL INSTITUTIONS TO COUNTER HEALTH MISINFORMATION
Evidence consistently demonstrates that trusted messengers influence health behaviour more effectively than anonymous institutional campaigns. Nigeria possesses extensive community structures capable of supporting climate-health literacy, including primary healthcare facilities, Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), Ward Development Committees, traditional institutions, women's associations, youth networks, faith-based organisations, and community radio stations.
These platforms should be equipped with standardised communication materials developed through behavioural and social science approaches. Rather than simply correcting misinformation after it spreads, communication strategies should anticipate recurring myths before climate emergencies occur and provide communities with practical actions they can implement immediately.
Faith leaders, traditional rulers, teachers, and respected community volunteers frequently serve as the first source of information during emergencies. Equipping these trusted actors with accurate, evidence-based climate-health information can substantially improve public confidence while reducing the spread of harmful rumours through informal social networks and digital media. WhatsApp community groups, SMS alerts, and local-language radio broadcasts also provide cost-effective channels for disseminating verified information, although they should complement rather than replace interpersonal communication, particularly in underserved rural communities where digital access remains uneven.
EMBEDDING CLIMATE-HEALTH LITERACY IN HEALTH SYSTEMS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Climate-health literacy should be institutionalised within Nigeria's health systems strengthening agenda. Priority investments include integrating climate-health competencies into pre-service and in-service training for frontline health workers; strengthening community-based surveillance linked to meteorological early warning systems; incorporating climate-health indicators into routine health information systems; and expanding risk communication capacities at state and local government levels.
Long-term sustainability depends on embedding climate-health literacy within national adaptation plans, primary healthcare reforms, Universal Health Coverage strategies, and local government development plans rather than treating it as a stand-alone communication activity. Development partners should also prioritise locally led implementation research to identify effective approaches for addressing misinformation across diverse linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic settings.
Countering health misinformation is fundamentally an investment in resilience. Communities that understand the health implications of climate variability are better positioned to prevent disease, respond appropriately during emergencies, and participate meaningfully in local adaptation efforts. As climate risks continue to reshape health outcomes across Africa, strengthening climate-health literacy represents one of the most practical and cost-effective interventions for protecting vulnerable populations, reinforcing resilient health systems, and advancing sustainable development.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Geneva: IPCC; 2023.
World Health Organization. (2023). Climate change and health. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization. (2017). Communicating risk in public health emergencies: A WHO guideline for emergency risk communication (ERC) policy and practice. WHO.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). National cholera emergency operations centre situation reports and annual disease surveillance reports. NCDC
Nigerian Meteorological Agency. (2026). Seasonal climate prediction. Abuja: NiMet.
Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria. (2025). Nigeria climate change and health national adaptation plan, 2025–2030. Abuja: Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.health+1
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. (2022). Nigeria floods situation reports. OCHA.
Lancet Countdown. (2025). Nigeria policy priority: Health and climate change. Lancet Countdown.
United Nations Children’s Fund. (n.d.). Social and behaviour change communication for public health emergencies. UNICEF, New York.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). National Adaptation Plan Technical Guidelines.
“Technological tools, including computers, search engines, statistical software, AI, and other digital applications routinely employed in contemporary scholarship, assisted in the preparation of this work. However, the conceptualization, analysis, interpretation, verification of information, conclusions, and responsibility for the content remain solely those of the author.” - Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje; CEO/Programmes Director, Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA), and President, African Refugees Council (ARC).
HIFA profile: Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje is a leading voice in health education, community health, and advocacy, with decades of experience advancing people-centered development across Africa and beyond. His approach to health education emphasizes participatory learning, knowledge transfer, and behavior change communication, ensuring that individuals and communities gain the skills and awareness to make informed decisions about their health. He develops and delivers innovative health promotion strategies tailored to local realities, particularly in resource-limited settings. In community health, Dr. Adirieje has championed integrated primary health care, preventive medicine, and grassroots health initiatives. Through Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA), which he leads, he connects civil society, community groups, and health institutions to strengthen healthcare delivery, tackle health inequities, and improve access to essential services for vulnerable populations. His work addresses infectious diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition, climate and health, environmental health, and emerging public health challenges. As a passionate advocate, Dr. Adirieje works with governments, NGOs, and international organizations to influence health policy, mobilize resources, and promote sustainable development goals (SDGs). He amplifies community voices, ensuring that health systems are inclusive, accountable, and responsive. His advocacy extends beyond health to governance, environment, and social justice, positioning him as a multidisciplinary leader shaping healthier and more equitable societies. afrepton AT gmail.com