Pan-African Conference in Nairobi Charts Bold Path Linking Climate, Environment, and Health

In a year of intensifying climate disasters and public health emergencies, Africa is stepping forward with a coordinated response that fuses science, policy, and action. From October 21 to 24, 2025, the Emara Ole Sereni in Nairobi will host the Pan-African Conference on Environment, Climate Change & Health, a milestone event uniting the continent’s efforts to tackle the interwoven crises of climate instability, environmental degradation, and human health.

The conference arrives at a time when climate shocks are costing Africa nearly 5 percent of its GDP annually. From heatwaves and floods to food insecurity and disease outbreaks, the continent’s communities; especially the most vulnerable: are living on the frontlines of overlapping environmental and health emergencies.

Jointly convened by Kenya’s Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, with support from partners such as the Climate and Health Africa Network for Collaboration and Engagement (CHANCE), Africa Research and Impact Network (ARIN), KEMRI, NEMA, Amref Health Africa, and Africa CDC, and backed by Wellcome and other donors, the conference seeks to do more than diagnose Africa’s challenges. It aims to redesign how solutions are created and shared.

Over 600 delegates; including government officials, researchers, civil society leaders, private sector innovators, and youth voices—are expected to take part. Discussions will unfold across nine thematic tracks, covering areas such as climate-resilient health systems, pollution management, water resources, nature-based solutions, governance and justice, health equity, and urban adaptation.

What makes this gathering stand out is its commitment to converting research into policy. For decades, the scientific community has warned that a warming planet would erode health gains; now, policymakers are being challenged to act. The Nairobi meeting intends to bridge that long-standing divide—translating scientific evidence into tangible, scalable interventions.

Among its key outcomes, the conference will launch an Environment, Climate Change, and Health Working Group and establish regional policy labs and research hubs to sustain collaboration beyond the event. The resulting policy recommendations will feed into Africa’s unified stance for upcoming global negotiations, including COP30 and the Global Stocktake.

As the world searches for integrated climate-health solutions, the Nairobi conference signals Africa’s determination to lead with both urgency and unity—moving from fragmented responses to a coherent vision where protecting the environment and safeguarding health are seen as one and the same goal.