The World Health Organization, the 2015–2016 El Niño Event, and Human Health in East and Southern Africa: An Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2957-3645/19728Keywords:
World Health Organization, 2015–2016 El Niño event, PULSE3, East Africa, southern Africa, human health, individual WEF nexusAbstract
The interaction between water, energy and food becomes conspicuous during El Niño events, at least at a grand scale, when El Niño-induced drought affects large populations. El Niño affects the broader water–energy–food (WEF) nexus at country, regional or global levels. An individual WEF manifests in our bodies as water and food intake, and the metabolic breakdown of food that provides energy. How do practitioners generate and apply scientific data and knowledge to produce responses to El Niño’s influence on human health at a broad scale, and what are the consequences? In this article, I explore these questions using the PULSE3 analytical framework in conjunction with practice theory to produce practical considerations on how the WHO responded to the 2015–2016 El Niño event in East and southern Africa. I argue that the WHO’s focus is on the grand WEF, with implications for policy processes and research agendas. To a large extent, the WHO backgrounds the individual WEF nexus, although it is this interconnection that the organisation is “treating” in a bid to prevent El Niño’s negative influence on human health. The analysis indicates that the WHO employs a positivist approach, relying on scientific data to inform its humanitarian responses. It, however, lacks a comprehensive understanding of the eco-political and sociopolitical structures that exacerbate vulnerabilities in affected regions. The findings also highlight the need for a more integrated approach that considers both the grand and individual WEF nexuses to enhance health governance and response strategies during El Niño events.
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