A new Lancet Commission on the future of health and economic resiliency in Africa

Abstract

The African continent's population, growing at an average of 2·6% per annum, is expected to double by 2050.1,2 Faced with this reality, the continent has urgent challenges as well as opportunities. First, population growth increases demand for resources, in a context where the impacts of climate change on the continent are exacerbated by limited capacity to mitigate the effects on food systems. Climate change is increasing the occurrence of adverse events, such as droughts and flooding, altering the productivity and nutrient content of crops and affecting food security, nutrition, and health.