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Mental health and climate change in Africa

Mental health and climate change in Africa

It is now widely acknowledged that low- and
middle-income countries in Africa are among
global hotspots for high vulnerability to
climate change, despite making comparatively
low contributions to this phenomenon.
Climate change has been shown to affect
mental health as a result of disruption of
social and economic structures that
populations depend on for good health,
including mental health. After decades of
neglect, recent efforts by governments such as
in Kenya to address the twin issues of climate
change and mental health demonstrate the
growing importance of these issues. Here we
briefly review the evidence of climate change
impacts on mental health in Africa and
demonstrate that there is need for more
contextual awareness and research in this
area in Africa to mitigate or forestall potential
mental health crises in the near future. We
recommend systematic efforts to support
funding for research and interventions at the
nexus between climate change and mental
health in Africa, and urge institutions and governments in Africa to begin paying
attention to this emerging threat to the
health of African populations.

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