Public Health Impacts of Drought in the Horn of Africa: A Review

This review examines the public health impacts of drought in the Horn of Africa, a region comprising Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and neighboring countries. The purpose of this review is to analyze the multifaceted health consequences of recurrent droughts in this region, which is highly vulnerable due to its arid climate, socio-economic challenges, and limited public health infrastructure. Key health impacts include malnutrition, outbreaks of communicable diseases (e.g., cholera and measles), mental health disorders, and increased mortality particularly among children and pregnant women. The review highlights how drought exacerbates food insecurity, compromises water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems, and leads to population displacement. These conditions contribute to the spread of infectious diseases and strain already fragile healthcare systems. The review calls for more integrated and climate-resilient public health strategies to mitigate drought-related health risks and support vulnerable populations in the Horn of Africa. Supplementary Material File (manuscribt.docx) - Download - 132.49 KB Information & Authors Information Version history Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License.

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 363views 155downloads Citations Download citation Yusuf Hared Abdi, Mohamed Sharif Abdi, Sharmake Gaiye Bashir, et al. Public Health Impacts of Drought in the Horn of Africa: A Review. Authorea. 25 April 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174556820.07640360/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.174556820.07640360/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.