Healthcare workers in many parts of the world, especially in energy-stressed countries like Zimbabwe, face the brutal impacts of climate change on a daily basis. While others can adapt to power outages and water shortages, health workers cannot. Their job is to keep people alive, even under the harshest conditions. Yet, with hospitals running dry and power failing, their ability to provide basic care is diminishing.
Imagine delivering a baby using only a phone flashlight, or trying to control infections in a hospital with no running water. These are not hypothetical situations—they are real for thousands of healthcare workers across the globe. Climate change is worsening power outages, water shortages, and disease outbreaks, pushing already strained healthcare systems to the brink. And the workers on the frontlines are overworked, underpaid, and largely ignored.
The Strain on Africa’s Healthcare System
Africa’s healthcare infrastructure has always been fragile, but climate change is pushing it to the edge. Rising temperatures, floods, and droughts are contributing to a sharp increase in diseases such as malaria, cholera, and heat-related illnesses. However, many hospitals lack the power to run essential medical equipment. As Mary Kathiru Nderi of Kenya’s KUCFAW puts it: “The world talks about turning off the lights for an hour, but for us, power cuts are a daily reality.”
Water shortages mean that surgical instruments can’t be sterilized, and patients recovering from infections cannot receive the basic care they need. Despite these challenges, healthcare workers are expected to make it work. They are tasked with saving lives in impossible circumstances.
The Danger of Power Cuts and Water Shortages
For healthcare workers, power cuts and water shortages are not just inconveniences—they are deadly. In hospitals where the power goes out, life-support systems stop working, and refrigeration for blood and vaccines fails. Emergency surgeries become impossible. In Cameroon, Rodolphe Nouemwa Tassing warns that without investment in climate-resilient health systems, both workers and patients will continue to suffer.
Healthcare workers across Africa are calling for urgent interventions. They want policies that protect them, including better wages, proper equipment, and recognition for the vital role they play in their communities.
Heat Stress and Overworked Staff
Rising temperatures bring more patients suffering from heatstroke, dehydration, and other heat-related illnesses. But they also push healthcare workers beyond their physical limits. In many hospitals, air conditioning is inadequate or nonexistent, forcing nurses and doctors to work in sweltering conditions while managing an overwhelming number of patients.
Joël Lueteta from the Democratic Republic of Congo points out that nurses in tropical regions are dealing with both the heat and an increase in cases of heatstroke and severe dehydration. The heat puts workers’ own health at risk and exacerbates the challenges of providing quality care.
Calls for Urgent Action
Healthcare unions across Africa are calling for stronger worker representation in climate policy discussions. They are demanding investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, such as solar-powered backup systems and hospitals that can withstand extreme weather conditions. They also want better working conditions, including heat mitigation strategies and disaster preparedness training in every healthcare facility.
“Healthcare workers on the frontlines of the climate crisis shouldn’t have to fight alone,” says Tecla Barangwe from Zimbabwe. “We need real change—better wages, climate-resilient hospitals, and recognition of the critical role we play.” The world can no longer afford to ignore the urgent needs of healthcare workers facing climate-induced crises.
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