A 2024 study found that the ‘dangerous humid heat’, which engulfed West Africa in February 2024, was made ten times more likely by human-caused climate change. The study specifically identified heat as a ‘silent killer’. Heat also worsens poverty. In India, for instance, climate change is worsening poverty and making heat-related expenses a cause of catastrophic unintended expenditure for families. Without a doubt, climate change is heating up the globe, causing poverty, destroying livelihoods and making living unbearable. This has to change. We need to democratize climate change and make its messaging easier for everyone to understand. Only then can we build an active citizenry committed to action.

The dire impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, especially in Africa—the second largest and most diverse continent, rich in culture and resources, yet experiencing the disproportionate impacts of the climate crises. In recent months, a series of climate disasters has pushed the continent to the brink of a public health crisis. From the devastating floods in Lagos, Nigeria—compounding an already dismal cholera outbreak—to the harsh impacts of El Niño in Malawi, which have left fields barren; from the cold fronts and floods in South Africa to drought-stricken lands of East Africa, Africa stands at a perilous crossroads. Here, climate chaos and public health crises converge, threatening the lives of millions across the region. With rising temperatures and increasingly erratic weather patterns, the health of millions of Africans is at risk.