Africa is already experiencing the health impacts of climate change, from heat waves and flooding to air pollution and climate-sensitive diseases, yet health remains insufficiently integrated into climate policies and financing systems. This policy brief examines climate-health governance frameworks and financing mechanisms across Africa, highlighting that only 35% of African countries have climate change policies that prioritise health. It finds that although regional and continental frameworks provide important entry points for action, national-level implementation remains weak, underfunded and poorly coordinated. The brief calls for stronger inter-ministerial governance structures, dedicated climate-health strategies, improved technical capacity, and innovative financing approaches, including green bonds, carbon credits, blended finance, debt-for-climate swaps and dedicated budget lines for climate-health initiatives. It argues that integrating health into climate action is not only a public health priority, but also a governance and financing challenge that requires coordinated action by governments, development partners, private sector actors and regional institutions.
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