CASH from the Scottish Government is to be used to develop cholera vaccine testing in parts of Africa.
Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin announced £200,000 of funding for the project for Malawi and Zambia.
The support comes as the countries try to deal with a surge in cases of the disease, said to be brought about by the impacts of climate change.
Martin, who announced the funding during the COP29 UN climate change summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, said: “Ensuring that everyone has access to safe and effective vaccines is also critical – as cases of diseases such as cholera become more prevalent as a direct consequence of climate change.”
She also pledged the Scottish Government will provide £40,000 to Regions4 – which brings together 50 regional governments from 22 countries across four continents – for a project aimed at helping poorer nations prepare for climate change.
Such work, known as “just resilience”, recognises that nations which are least responsible for rising global temperatures can often suffer some of the worst impacts of climate change.
The project the Scottish Government cash will go towards will help create a standardised definition of the term, as well as seeking to identify examples of best practice.
By acting now, Martin said the Scottish Government has a “rare opportunity” to “lead on an emerging field of climate action”.
She said: “Climate justice is at the heart of COP29 – and the Scottish Government is working to ensure that it supports and champions the voice of communities from the global south.
“Just resilience has the potential to make a significant impact upon the lives of those most affected by climate change and this project represents a rare opportunity for the Scottish Government to lead on an emerging field of climate action in a way that is in line with our climate justice principles.”
She said the two projects together are the “latest examples” of Scotland’s “work as a good global citizen”.
