Professor Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development at the University of Ghana, has highlighted concerning issues relating to climate change and its health implications in the country.
Speaking at his inaugural lecture delivered on August 13, 2026, at the UG Great Hall on the theme, “Reading the Skies and Healing in the Land: Climate, Indigenous Knowledge and Health,” Prof. Nii Ardey Codjoe revealed details of climate research he conducted in Tamale and Accra.
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“These are some of the results, and I'm sure these are some of the high temperatures people are experiencing in Accra. If you look at this woman to the left, this cooking area, I think this is like a kenkey factory. She's experiencing 48.1 degrees, and then somebody's living room, 45.5 degrees, and this cinema where you have people watching football...
“How many people are here? Where we have a lot of Celsius significantly lower. This may be giving us a pointer. In Tamale, this blacksmith shop will run far because 61 degrees. I couldn't imagine, so I inputted it into. In a workshop, this is a seamstress, 50.3 degrees. So if you go to a place you are supposed to work and you are experiencing this temperature, how much work can you do?” he questioned.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor further called for stringent measures to curtail the prevalence of flooding in the country to combat water-borne diseases that are claiming lives and making things difficult.
“Let's look at climate change and systems analysis. It is a waterborne parasitic disease with the most common symptom being blood in the urine or in your stool. It is also known as bilharzia or snail fever and most commonly affects school-age children. It is one of the main occupational diseases acquired through activities associated with fresh water, such as washing, fishing and swimming.
“Disease is transmitted to humans when the cercaria penetrates the skin when contact with infested water is made. Our recommendations were that we should explore design changes to reduce the impact of floods, events in health systems, build risk path contingency planning, and more importantly, early warning systems,” he added.
The professor, who works with the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS), concluded by noting that climate change is not merely an environmental issue but also has health, social, cultural and economic dimensions.
He noted that indigenous knowledge offers valuable insights into climate observation, adaptation and resilience, while community perceptions shape responses to climate-related risks.
He added that integrating scientific knowledge with local understanding provides a comprehensive approach to strengthening health systems, improving adaptation strategies and building resilient communities in Ghana and across Africa.
Watch the lecture below:
SB/AM
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