Scholars presenting at the COP31 summit in Antalya, Türkiye, are urging African governments to incorporate mental health care into their strategies for extreme weather. A project led by Professor Collins Iwuji at the Africa Health Research Institute demonstrates that flood exposure significantly raises the prevalence of psychological conditions in Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Kenya, and South Africa. The initiative, known by the acronym WEMA, argues that current humanitarian efforts, which prioritize food and shelter, overlook the severe emotional trauma experienced by displaced populations.
Data from the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies indicates that 27 nations saw heavy rains in 2024, impacting 11 million residents. These events caused over 2,500 fatalities and forced four million people from their homes. Professor Iwuji explained to the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism that the incidence of mental disorders among those affected by floods was substantially higher than in unaffected groups. He noted that eliminating flood impacts would lower the disorder rate in the study group by a quarter. This statistic underscores the immediate psychological cost of losing property and income in impoverished areas.
Despite these clear links, national adaptation plans rarely address psychological well-being. A report by the United for Global Mental Health consortium revealed that mental health is often excluded from such policies or treated superficially without actionable steps. Dr. Sanae Okamoto from the United Nations University observed that global health spending allocates merely two percent to mental health services. WEMA scientists contend that this funding gap must close as climate volatility grows, especially with warnings of a potential super El Niño.
The researchers stress that psychological first aid must be part of immediate disaster response, not delayed for months. This plea arises as Oxfam reports flood deaths have surpassed 8,000 this year, marking the highest count since 2013. The charity also highlighted emission inequalities, stating the wealthiest one percent contribute 34 times more to heatwaves than the average person. As the summit proceeds, advocates are pushing for mental health to become a core element of climate resilience agendas.