Sesay Umaru, Osborne Augustus
Sierra Leone Field Epidemiology Training Program, National Public Health Agency, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Institute for Development, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Infect Dis Poverty. 2025 Mar 24;14(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s40249-025-01294-9.
Climate change presents a profound challenge to global health, disproportionately affecting low-income countries like Sierra Leone. This opinion examines the dual burden of infectious and climate-related diseases and their implications for Sierra Leone's health systems. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns intensify vector-borne diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever, while flooding exacerbates waterborne diseases in overcrowded urban areas. Concurrently, climate-driven food insecurity worsens malnutrition, particularly among children, and heat stress contributes to the growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases. These overlapping health crises strain Sierra Leone's fragile health system, characterized by inadequate infrastructure, workforce shortages, weak surveillance systems, and limited financial resources. The dual disease burden not only increases morbidity and mortality but also deepens existing health inequities and inequalities. To address these challenges, this opinion underscores the need for climate-resilient health policies and systems. Key recommendations include strengthening healthcare infrastructure, building workforce capacity through targeted training, fostering community-based adaptation strategies, and enhancing international collaboration and financing. Establishing robust research and data systems is also critical to monitor and mitigate climate-related health impacts. By prioritizing response to dual burden of infectious and climate-related diseases within health policy frameworks, Sierra Leone can build a resilient health system that safeguards public health and promotes sustainable development.
气候变化给全球健康带来了严峻挑战，对像塞拉利昂这样的低收入国家影响尤甚。本观点探讨了传染病和与气候相关疾病的双重负担及其对塞拉利昂卫生系统的影响。气温上升和降雨模式变化加剧了疟疾和拉沙热等媒介传播疾病，而洪水则使人口密集的城市地区的水传播疾病恶化。与此同时，气候导致的粮食不安全使营养不良状况恶化，尤其是在儿童中，热应激导致非传染性疾病的患病率不断上升。这些重叠的健康危机使塞拉利昂脆弱的卫生系统不堪重负，其特点是基础设施不足、劳动力短缺、监测系统薄弱和财政资源有限。双重疾病负担不仅增加了发病率和死亡率，还加深了现有的健康不公平和不平等。为应对这些挑战，本观点强调需要制定具有气候适应能力的卫生政策和系统。主要建议包括加强医疗基础设施、通过有针对性的培训建设劳动力能力、促进基于社区的适应战略以及加强国际合作与融资。建立强大的研究和数据系统对于监测和减轻与气候相关的健康影响也至关重要。通过在卫生政策框架内优先应对传染病和与气候相关疾病的双重负担，塞拉利昂可以建立一个有韧性的卫生系统，保障公众健康并促进可持续发展。
