The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that it will help eight countries in Southern Africa, including Mozambique, to strengthen their responses to climate-related health threats through a €32 million fund.

With financial support from the Pandemic Fund and technical assistance from the WHO African Region and other partners, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe will increase their capacity to protect public health and respond to climate-related emergencies, the organization announced in a statement.

This will be a three-year program worth $35 million (approximately €32 million) that aims to support these countries in strengthening national and regional early warning systems, disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and workforce development – fundamental pillars of preparedness for health emergencies.

The WHO also warned that southern Africa is experiencing twice the global average temperature. Droughts, floods, and cyclones are becoming more frequent and severe, fueling the spread of vector-borne and waterborne diseases such as malaria and cholera, placing increased pressure on these countries' health systems.

Five of the countries involved in the initiative – Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe – are among the 50 nations most vulnerable to infectious diseases in the world, according to the WHO.

Many of these countries also face high climate risk, compounded by structural challenges such as weak infrastructure, limited resources, and high levels of cross-border migration, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated preparedness across the region.

This program, developed under the leadership of national governments, has not yet begun operations. According to the WHO, a formal launch event is planned for May, but the initial funds have been disbursed to countries, marking an important milestone in a regionally coordinated initiative.

The WHO further indicated that this program was developed within the framework of the Common Approach for Africa under the Joint Emergency Action Plan, with the WHO in the African Region, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, and was also supported by the Gates Foundation.