Ghana (economic impacts and disease exacerbation)

Global warming, exacerbated by the melting Arctic, is leading to economic losses around the world. By 2050, Ghana’s GDP is expected to be 24.3% below 2020 levels (Oxford Economics, 2022). These losses stem from a decrease in productivity, reductions in agriculture, and increased health costs, among other factors.

Concerning rising health costs, this warming may make conditions more favourable for vector- and water-borne pathogens (Ryan et al., 2020), which are significant causes of death in subtropical Africa (World Health Organization, 2022). Financial investments in malaria eradication increased from less than US$25 million in 2006 to over US$100 million by 2011. Nonetheless, to eliminate malaria – during the current decade in Ghana – a further US$961 million is needed (Shretta et al., 2020).

Eliminating malaria is expected to come with US$32 billion in economic gain, through reduced healthcare needs and increased productivity (Ibid.).

Ghana, like other African nations, is largely responsible for generating these funds. Western countries have routinely made financial pledges, such as promising US$25 billion specifically to assist the entire continent with climate adaptations, yet only US$55 million has actually materialised (Aljazeera, 2022).

Read more about the socio-economic risks of climate change here.

Read more about health risks here.