The COP29 climate meeting in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, formally concludes on Friday, November 22, 2024.
As COP meetings come and go, the Baku meeting has been a damp squid. By the time it ends, it will have been attended by nearly 50,000 delegates. That is half the nearly 100,000 who attended COP28, which took place in 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates – the highest number ever.
Some have argued that Azerbaijan was a terrible venue, because it is a petrostate ruled by President Ilham Aliyev, described as leading “an authoritarian regime; elections are not free and fair, political power is concentrated in the hands of Aliyev and his extended family, corruption is rampant, and human rights violations are severe”. The UAE is really not much different; it is only beginning to grow out of being a petrostate, and is less a democracy than Azerbaijan. Sure, Baku is nowhere as shiny as Dubai, and isn’t a great shopping destination, but it has a good view, seated as it is on the coast of the Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water in the world.
While nearly all United Nations member states sent delegates to Baku, the absence of big power leaders was notable. US President Joe Biden did not attend; China’s President Xi Jinping didn’t show; France’s President Emmanuel Macron didn’t rock up; Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz was absent due to the collapse of his ruling coalition; Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva cancelled after a head injury; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was missing in action, and good old Russian President Vladimir Putin did not go either.
Leading economies
The leaders from several of Africa’s leading economies and most populous nations also didn’t pitch up.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa did not attend; Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu was nowhere to be seen; Egypt’s Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who hosted COP27 in 2022, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, hadn’t punched the clock as of the time of writing. Kenya’s President William Ruto, who has taken an active stance on climate change issues and has hosted a couple of save-the-planet conferences, did not personally attend. Countries like Morocco, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, were also represented by vice presidents or ministers.
The short of it is that the leaders of the world’s leading polluters weren’t in Baku to have fingers wagged in their faces. China is by far the largest emitter of CO₂, followed by the US, India, the EU, and Russia. In Africa, the leading polluter countries are South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Angola and Morocco.
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising. The world is in great turmoil. Right wing populist leaders are being swept to power in many parts of the world by voters who are fed up and angry with the “neo-liberal” order that has dominated the world in the last 30 years. These leaders are not tree huggers, and don’t give a hoot about windmills or elephants dying in Africa’s drought-ravaged savannahs.
The horrors of war are everywhere, competing with climate change catastrophe; the Israel-Palestine atrocities; the madness in Sudan; the Sahel is on fire; the highest number ever of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world.
In Africa, southern Africa has been hit by the worst drought in 70 years, and lakes and rivers have run dry, leading to a seizure of hydropower dams. Several regions of Africa have seen their worst floods in generations. Perhaps for some African chiefs, going to Baku to debate the perils of climate change in these circumstances, would be like the hated emperor Nero playing the fiddle as Rome burns.
Africa suffers a great environmental injustice. It contributes significantly less to global greenhouse gas emissions (less than 4 per cent) than other continents, yet it suffers disproportionate impacts from climate change. Africa is warming at about 1.5 times the global average rate.
Historical data shows that Africa has had a 34 per cent decline in agricultural productivity growth since 1961 due to climate variability. The Horn of Africa recently faced its worst drought in 40 years, affecting millions. In 2022, weather, climate, and water-related hazards caused over US$8.5 billion in economic damages in Africa, with more than 110 million people directly affected.
It is projected that crop yields on the continent could fall 2.9 per cent by 2030 and 18 per cent by 2050 under current climate change trajectories. The African Development Bank estimates that climate change could reduce gross domestic product (GDP) growth by up to 3 per cent annually by 2050 in sub-Saharan Africa. Projected damages in major African cities could reach US$65 billion by 2050 for moderate climate change scenarios. And climate change is expected to displace 86 million Africans within their own countries by 2050 due to factors like sea-level rise, drought and flooding.
Battered by some of the harshest repercussions of climate change, Africa urgently needs both global mitigation efforts and robust local adaptation strategies. Hopefully, prayerful leaders like President Ruto who stayed home, did the right thing. At this point, anything helps.
The author is a journalist, writer, and curator of the “Wall of Great Africans”. X(Twitter)@cobbo3
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Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak – Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate Response
Addis Ababa, January 20, 2025</Strong> — Tanzania has declared a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak after confirming one case and identifying 25 suspected cases in the Kagera Region of Northwestern Tanzania. The Marburg virus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease, is similar to Ebola and is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and monkeys. This outbreak marks the nation’s second encounter with the deadly virus, following the outbreak in Bukoba District of Kagera Region in March 2023, which resulted in nine cases and six deaths.
In response to this urgent threat, the Africa CDC is mobilizing strong support to help Tanzania contain the outbreak. A team of twelve public health experts will be deployed as part of an advance mission in the next 24 hours. The multidisciplinary team includes epidemiologists, risk communication, infection prevention and control (IPC), and laboratory experts to provide on-ground support for surveillance, IPC, diagnostics, and community engagement.
The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, has engaged with Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Minister of Health to ensure coordinated efforts and secure political commitment for the response.
“Africa CDC stands firmly with Tanzania in this critical moment. To support the government’s efforts, we are committing US$ 2 million to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management. Building on Tanzania’s commendable response during the 2023 outbreak, we are confident that swift and decisive action, combined with our support and those of other partners, will bring this outbreak under control,” Dr. Kaseya stated.
Africa CDC has recently supported efforts to enhance the diagnostic and sequencing capacity of public health laboratories in Tanzania. PCR Test kits and genomic sequencing reagents have been dispatched, with additional supplies in the pipeline. To ensure rapid identification and confirmation of cases, the institution will also provide technical assistance to strengthen detection and genome sequencing for better characterization of the pathogen. Additionally, support will be provided to improve case management protocols and enhance the capacity to deliver safe and effective treatment.
Africa CDC is committed to working closely with the Government of Tanzania, regional partners, international organizations, and global stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, to stop the spread of the Marburg virus.
Source: allafrica.com
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Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher
Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).
“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
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“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
