On October 23, 2024, we hosted a side event at Nigeria Health Watch’s Future of Health Youth Pre-Conference in Abuja. With the pre-conference theme “Building Climate-Resilient Health Systems Through Youth Innovation,” the conference brought together youth leaders, climate experts, and health advocates to discuss the increasingly critical link between climate resilience and public health. At this event, we led a panel session and hosted an interactive exhibition stand to engage in conversations on community health, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and infectious disease prevention as essential components of climate action.
Panel Session: Climate-Driven Health Risks and Community Action
DRASA’s panel, titled “Climate-Driven Health Risks: Strengthening Community Health and Hygiene to Combat Emerging Threats,” featured professionals with experiences in environmental health, biodiversity, AMR, and infectious disease prevention. Speakers included Timothy Ogenyi, Environmental Health expert; Opeyemi Lana, biodiversity researcher; Ayomikun Tayo-Ojo, Community Health and Hygiene Program Manager; and Ifeyinwa George, AMR Program Manager. Moderated by Ayomide Fasan-Olanipekun, DRASA’s Communications and Advocacy Officer, the discussion focused on the interplay between community health practices and climate-related infectious diseases and the role of youth-led health initiatives in fostering resilient communities.
Our panel emphasized how climate change escalates infectious disease risks by disrupting ecosystems, increasing AMR, and affecting vulnerable populations like children and those living in slum areas. Panelists discussed practical community health and hygiene measures that can mitigate these effects, such as safe waste disposal, responsible antimicrobial use, and sustainable hygiene practices. The interactive Q&A session saw youth participants engaging deeply, posing questions on community-specific challenges, and seeking actionable steps to drive change.
Exhibition Stand: Youth-Led Innovations: Building Climate-Resilient Communities through Infectious Disease Prevention
At DRASA’s exhibition stand, the spotlight was on our Strengthening Community Knowledge and Response on Infectious Disease Prevention (SCKaR-IDP) project under the theme “Youth-Led Innovations: Building Climate-Resilient Communities through Infectious Disease Prevention.” Through a visually engaging story wall, we showcased success stories and impact data from our community-based health surveillance program, which focuses on health challenges faced by two urban slum communities in Lagos. In these two communities, we educated and equipped over 2,000 residents to become Health Champions who can identify and prevent infectious diseases unique to their environment. Visitors to our exhibition explored the stories of how community health education has transformed public health and resilience in these vulnerable areas, all illustrated through infographics and impact data, and how they can also contribute to a climate-resilient health future.
Our activities at this event highlighted the vital role of youth in building resilient health systems and the need for widespread community health practices to combat the impacts of climate change. The 69 attendees were invited to join our Friends of DRASA network for future collaborations in their communities. As we continue our mission of developing more Health Champions who can prevent infectious diseases and save lives, this event reinforced our position as a youth-focused organization committed to doing more with young people.
To get involved in our work towards achieving a healthy and resilient society, visit this web page and explore our ID Fridays blog series to learn more about infectious disease identification and prevention.
