Satellite Meetings

The HE²AT Center consortium will hold a two-day strategic meeting on October 27 & 28, 2024, at Cresta Lodge in Harare, Zimbabwe. All HE²AT Center partners are invited to participate in the programme, where we will continue our exploration and strategic development of innovative data science methodologies. We will hold in-depth discussions on the HE²AT Center’s research projects, including aspects of the integrated data science ecosystem, investigations into the urban heat island effect, and preliminary data analysis. These discussions will result in the evolution of the HE²AT Center’s strategy and implementation plan to advance progress in achieving our goals.

Open session
Time :15:00-16:00

RSVP Email : Reneilwe.Satekge@witsphr.org.

Agenda

1. HE²AT Center overview
2. Key research questions we address and why
3. Preliminary findings
4. Contribution to evidence and policy

The Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems – Southern Africa (SHEFS-SA) consortium seeks to catalyse the transformation of Southern African food systems and communities towards systems and communities that are healthy and resilient to climate risks by:

• Undertaking transdisciplinary research to shift the understanding of complex climate change (CC) challenges for health, as mediated by food systems, within contexts, translated into scalable solutions and policy recommendations with high impact.

• Developing a transdisciplinary Community of Practice (CoP), led by the Global South, that contextualises and applies systems thinking within an expanded climate-sensitive SHEFS Framework to improve food security, food safety, nutrition, and health, including mental health; and (iii) developing a Global South-led cohort programme to train emerging scholars and practitioners in transdisciplinary research approaches at the intersection of Climate and Health.

Objectives
The SHEFS-SA consortium side event/session will focus on:

1. Introducing the SHEFS-SA consortium, identifying and mapping partners and collaborators in Zimbabwe and the broader region.

2. Building a shared understanding of complex climate change (CC) challenges for health, as mediated by food systems within contexts, translated into scalable solutions and policy recommendations with high impact.

3. Developing a Global South-led transdisciplinary Community of Practice (CoP), contextualising and applying systems thinking within an expanded climate-sensitive SHEFS Framework to improve food security, food safety, nutrition, and mental health.

Who should attend
The side event targets regional policymakers, sector experts, researchers/academia (including postgraduates and early career researchers), and civil society actors. The broad aim is to include all participants across the science-policy-practice-society interface. While the side event aims to produce implementable outcomes at the national (Zimbabwe) and regional level, the side event will also include global partners, especially from the global South and North, to promote South-South-North knowledge sharing and partnerships.

Draft Programme
Date: 28 October 2024
Facilitators: Prof Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi and Dr Vimbayi Chimonyo

The CASCADE project is an ongoing international research project operating under the broader Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training, and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) program. CASCADE’s focus is on understanding cascading climate and health risks for urban areas; with implementing partners from six African cities that include Accra, Cape Town, Harare, Johannesburg, Kampala, and Nairobi. The project is transdisciplinary in nature and seeks to utilize participatory learning platforms for co-design, co-production, and co-implementation of processes regarding climate change and urban health in these African cities. The research focuses on complex and cascading urban-climate-health risks; urban health interventions and communications; climate-health governance; and the generation of new knowledge that is relevant to the development of African cities.
The CHAC conference provides an opportunity for mutual learning and knowledge sharing for the researchers under the project as well as for the different experts and stakeholders within the sector, for improved outputs and outcomes. In the proposed dialogue session, the engagement of different stakeholders, as well as identifying key research gaps and opportunities for collaborative efforts are envisaged. Researchers from the CASCADE team will showcase their work and how it connects with the broader objectives of the project. The session will therefore allow project scholars, city officials, and other key stakeholders to contribute to the knowledge development process which is crucial to achieving the CASCADE project goals. The goals of CASCADE are:

• Create an understanding of the multiple risk pathways through which climate variability, extremes, and change lead to health risks in African cities.

• Develop effective and practical long-term interventions and health messages for reducing mortality and morbidity in African city contexts due to climate and health risks and identify how they can be formulated to more effectively engage communities and inform decision-making related to urban climate and health risks.

• To identify the urban climate health governance modes are required to support the implementation of priority interventions, particularly considering developmental vulnerabilities and societal inequalities related to socioeconomics, gender, and marginalized groups that are prevalent in African urban contexts.

Proposed structure of the session:
The session will comprise several in-person and virtual oral presentations by the CASCADE research fellows conducting research on and in the cities of Accra and Harare. This will be followed by a plenary session. Some of the expected participants in the session include policymakers, students, climate experts, health experts, academics, residents’ associations, and community leaders.
Presentation on Harare:
Presentation 1: Impacts of temperature and environmental contaminants on the growth and antimicrobial resistance of Vibrio cholerae in Harare
Presentation 2: A review of the impacts of climate change on the public health of communities in African cities
Presentation 3: Leveraging Green Infrastructure to Safeguard Harare’s Urban Health
Presentation 4: Developing a framework for integration in urban climate health governance for the city of Harare
Presentation 5: A Framework for Improved Public Healthcare to Climate-Induced Cholera Outbreaks in Harare
Presentation 6: Developing a forecasting tool for cholera incidences in Harare.
Presentation 7: Towards a conceptual framework for inclusive climate-health risks Governance for Zimbabwe. A Conceptual Review

The scientific advisory board meeting will focus on reviewing progress of the project, evaluation of relevant resources and outputs , as well as consideration of strategic direction for the project. The meeting will also address collaboration opportunities with international research institutions.

The Climate and Health Africa Network for Collaboration and Engagement (CHANCE) is a well-established network platform for African researchers, policymakers, donors, NGOs, civil society and other stakeholders. The network aims to create a platform for these policymakers to meet, exchange knowledge, collaborate on emerging climate and health research, share best practices through case studies, coordinate efforts for evidence based policy and access financing for climate change and health in Africa. This has successfully been done through webinars, trainings, workshops and annual in-person conferences. The network has been instrumental in bringing key African climate and health actors together to deliberate on how to advance climate and health research and policy at regional, national and provincial levels.

Since its formation, the network has organized 2 annual in-person conferences. During these conferences, we have held close- door hybrid meetings with the registered members who are in attendance. This is aimed at strengthening connections between members and discussing plans for the network before the next conference. This year, we plan to have an informal meeting with members attending the CHAC 2024 conference on Wednesday, 30^th October from 5:30pm to 7:00pm CAT at (assigned room) in Cresta Lodge, Harare.

Agenda

5:30: Arrival and Registration

5:45: Introduction of members

6:00: Overview of the network and achievements so far

6:15: Interactive session with the members on network activities – how can we strengthen CHANCE?

6:45: Plans for future (AGM, next conference, webinars, learning etc)

7:00: Closure and head for dinner

Presenters will be confirmed closer to the event.

This event will only be open to registered members of the network

We are excited to propose a 90-minute satellite session at the upcoming CHAC conference focused on “Vulnerability and Hazard Mapping for the HE²AT Center.” This session will bring together a diverse group of partners to explore how heat impacts health through the lens of socio-economic and climate variables, particularly in urban environments. 

Session Overview: 

The session will be structured around the IPCC definition of risk, breaking down into three key areas: hazard, exposure, and vulnerability. Our partners have specific expertise that aligns well with these areas, and we propose the following initial breakdown (subject to refinement as we move forward): 

1. Introduction: A brief overview of the session’s goals, the importance of vulnerability and hazard mapping, and an introduction to the IPCC framework. 

1. Hazard Mapping: Led by the University of Cape Town’s Climate Science Group, this project focuses on temperature, humidity, and other climate variables that contribute to heat risks. It has real-world applications in Johannesburg and Abidjan. 

1. Urban Heat Island and Exposure: Led by the World Bank, discussing their extensive work on urban heat islands, particularly in Johannesburg, and how urban infrastructure and socio-economic factors influence exposure to heat. 

1. Vulnerability Mapping: Led by WITS Planetary Health Research and IBM Research Africa, focusing on the intersection of socio-economic factors, health indicators, and climate data to map vulnerability. IBM Research will also showcase its foundation models and geospatial tools for exploring heat impacts globally, with a focus on Johannesburg and Abidjan. 

1. Contribution from UPGC (Ivory Coast): We are discussing with our partners at UPGC to determine their most relevant contributions. They have done significant work in hydrology in Abidjan, and we aim to integrate their insights into either the hazard or vulnerability sections. 

1. Panel Discussion Q&A: This will be a moderated panel discussion in which all partners will engage in a deeper dialogue, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. 

Final Remarks: The session will wrap up with a summary of key takeaways and next steps. 

The Climate and Health Africa Network for Collaboration and Engagement (CHANCE) is a well-established network platform for African researchers, policymakers, donors, NGOs, civil society and other stakeholders. The network aims to create a platform for these policymakers to meet, exchange knowledge, collaborate on emerging climate and health research, share best practices through case studies, coordinate efforts for evidence based policy and access financing for climate change and health in Africa. This has successfully been done through webinars, trainings, workshops and annual in-person conferences. The network has been instrumental in bringing key African climate and health actors together to deliberate on how to advance climate and health research and policy at regional, national and provincial levels.

Since its formation, the network has organized 2 annual in-person conferences. During these conferences, we have held close- door hybrid meetings with the registered members who are in attendance. This is aimed at strengthening connections between members and discussing plans for the network before the next conference. This year, we plan to have an informal meeting with members attending the CHAC 2024 conference on Wednesday, 30^th October from 5:30pm to 7:00pm CAT at (assigned room) in Cresta Lodge, Harare.

Agenda

5:30: Arrival and Registration

5:45: Introduction of members

6:00: Overview of the network and achievements so far

6:15: Interactive session with the members on network activities – how can we strengthen CHANCE?

6:45: Plans for future (AGM, next conference, webinars, learning etc)

7:00: Closure and head for dinner

Presenters will be confirmed closer to the event.

This event will only be open to registered members of the network

This purpose of the capacity building workshop session is to introduce the priorities of Nature Medicine in climate and health research, the criteria that editors consider in manuscripts and an overview of the editorial and peer review processes. The session will also provide some tips and advice on the fundamentals of ethical research practices and how to prepare an article before submitting to a journal

We invite the CHAC community interested in the intersection of open source software, infectious disease, and climate change to the launch of a new multidisciplinary community of practice, the ‘Climate Sensitive Infectious Disease (CSID) Network‘! This interactive event in Harare is an opportunity to learn and build connections with others in this emergent field to build and maintain better open tools for understanding and responding to shifts in infectious diseases impacted by climate variation.

The HAPI (Heat Adaptation for Pregnant Women and Infants) project has successfully completed its formative research phase. This phase led to the co-production of comprehensive, multi-component heat adaptation interventions aimed at reducing the impact of extreme heat on pregnant and postpartum women (PPW) and newborns in Southern Africa. These interventions are multi-layered, integrating behavioural, built environment, nature-based solutions, health services, and policy components. 

Building on the outcomes of the first Scientific Advisory Board meeting, this second meeting seeks to review progress made, address identified gaps, and further enhance the heat adaptation strategies for PPW and infants. The board will also  provide scientific recommendations for the next stage of the study that seeks to   implement and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions developed through co-production and on strengthening stakeholder engagement and advocacy approaches to mitigate the effects of climate change on PPW and infants. 

Objectives of the Meeting 

1. Review project progress, preliminary findings and the lessons learned from the formative stage of the research. 

1. Provide scientific input to plans for the implementation and the evaluation  of the co-produced multi-layered heat adaptation interventions, focusing on the effectiveness of all components in reducing heat effects among PPW and infants. 

1. Enhance stakeholder engagement, capacity strengthening and advocacy. 

This training session will run from 13:00-15:00 and will focus on data science methods relevant to climate and health research. We will likely work with a synthetic version of the HE2AT Center dataset and corresponding climate datasets in a hands-on format, similar to a “datathon.” UCT may have specific

The HIGH Horizons consortium partners convene for their third annual meeting.

HIGH Horizons is a four-year, EU funded research project that studies how to protect pregnant women, newborns, children, and health workers from heat in Europe and Africa through adaptation and mitigation interventions in health facilities, a personalised early warning system, and policy-oriented work. 

Many of the preliminary project results are presented during the CHAC conference, and in our consortium meeting we will take the opportunity to take stock and discuss the remaining tasks ahead of us. In the morning each of the HIGH Horizons objectives will be discussed in plenary: the population-level indicators, the personalized Early Warning System, the integrated adaptation and mitigation interventions, and the heat-health biomarkers. In the afternoon we will focus on our communication and dissemination activities, including publications and policy outreach.

The Pathfinder Initiative aims to accelerate a just transition by providing practical, evidence-based pathways to net zero that also bring health benefits. In the first phase, LSHTM researchers conducted a comprehensive review of existing literature on the health co-benefits of climate action and compiled case studies of implemented solutions worldwide, highlighting those with measured greenhouse gas emissions reductions and health benefits. The second phase is now underway, focussing on generating real-world evidence to evaluate these health co-benefits, particularly from climate mitigation and adaptation actions.

One of the key workstreams of this phase is strengthening research capacity including in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Pathfinder Initiative team is hosting a full-day workshop to advance this work. This workshop will offer a valuable opportunity for Pathfinder Initiative partners, including LSHTM, AFIDEP, and APHRC, to connect, share insights, and identify specific gaps and needs in Sub-Saharan Africa that our capacity-strengthening efforts should address. The workshop will also serve as an opportunity to co-design a community of practice aimed at bridging these gaps.

If you’d like to learn more or connect with us over this work, please reach out to us at the conference or contact us at rebecca.newbould@lshtm.ac.uk

There is an urgent need to take action to stop the climate crisis and support those who are already affected by it, particularly through strengthening health systems. Climate and health have rapidly moved up the political agenda in the last 2 years, but the health consequences of climate change still need accelerated action. As the Global Stock take from COP28 pointed to: “a growing gap between the needs of developing countries and the support provided and mobilized for them and calls for the unlocking and redeployment of trillions of dollars towards climate action and climate-resilient development”.

In a new report from the Norwegian Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Red Cross Climate Centre in the countries Burkina Faso, Malawi and Somalia is the entry point for telling a story of the health consequences of climate change in the African region. Key findings from this report will be premiered in this event before experts will discuss recommendations moving forward. The discussions will be open to questions and comments from the floor.

The Characterizing Effects of Air Quality In Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (CHEAQI-MNCH) Research Project will host a closed half day meeting with project partners after the CHAC conference on Friday the 1^st of November 2024. The purpose of the meeting is to provide feedback to project partners and stakeholders on the progress of the project, 1 year from inception. We will review the current protocol and help co-design the implementation plan for the coming year. In addition we will use the same platform to consolidate ideas on how to more firmly build synergies with partner projects where we are sourcing data, and those that will use the data products that CHEAQI is developing. These include the PRECISE network that has provided access to personal pollution exposure data, the ETIQUET project that is supporting the CHEAQI indicator validation process, and funding partners from the National Institutes of Health. Other partners from the NIH funded HE²AT Center project will also be in attendance to further support how CHEAQI can leverage the HE²AT data infrastructure to strengthen collaborative research and learning.

The Grand Challenges Africa initiative of the Science for Africa Foundation has just finalised the award of 8 climate and health grantees. This cohort of African researchers will be conducting research at the intersection of climate change and health, with a strong emphasis on gender equity. The eight grantees will be funded for a period of two (2) years with support from Wellcome, Rockefeller Foundation and Foundation

Key objectives for the GC Africa climate and health meeting include:  

• Introducing grantees to each other and facilitating networking within the cohort. 
• Discussing the roadmap for project implementation, including timelines and milestones. 
• One on one discussions with the SFA Foundation teams- Finance and Grants, MEAL, Communications, etc.
• Establishing a mechanism for ongoing support, reporting, and knowledge sharing 
• Identifying key challenges and opportunities in achieving the project’s objectives. 

Meeting agenda: Shared with the participants. 

The Grand Challenges Africa initiative of the Science for Africa Foundation has just finalised the award of 8 climate and health grantees. This cohort of African researchers will be conducting research at the intersection of climate change and health, with a strong emphasis on gender equity. The eight grantees will be funded for a period of two (2) years with support from Wellcome, Rockefeller Foundation and Foundation

Key objectives for the GC Africa climate and health meeting include:  

• Introducing grantees to each other and facilitating networking within the cohort. 
• Discussing the roadmap for project implementation, including timelines and milestones. 
• One on one discussions with the SFA Foundation teams- Finance and Grants, MEAL, Communications, etc.
• Establishing a mechanism for ongoing support, reporting, and knowledge sharing 
• Identifying key challenges and opportunities in achieving the project’s objectives. 

Meeting agenda: Shared with the participants. 

OBJECTIVES

Community Engagement and Empowerment: To foster meaningful engagement among local communities in Mt. Darwin, directly addressing the climate change and health challenges impacting them. This conference will empower local voices by providing a platform for the exchange of traditional knowledge and innovative solutions.

Showcasing Traditional Knowledge and Practices: To highlight and document traditional heat coping strategies and other adaptive practices developed within the community, ensuring that these methods are recognized and shared as valuable contributions to the global dialogue on climate resilience.

Promoting Local and Global Partnerships: To strengthen partnerships between the local community, national stakeholders, and international participants, fostering collaboration and support for sustainable climate-health initiatives that can be scaled and adapted across different regions.

DELIVERABLES

Local and International Awareness: Engage over 200 community members and stakeholders in Mt. Darwin to highlight the unique climate-health challenges faced by rural communities. These insights will contribute to the CHAC African Health and Climate Declaration ahead of COP29 and COP30, ensuring grassroots perspectives are included in global policy discussions.

Media Engagement and Coverage: Collaborate with and  global media to spotlight the human stories from rural Zimbabwe. This will amplify local voices on the global stage, influencing international stakeholders and policymakers. Showcase projects HIGH Horizons and HAPI.

Exhibition and Recognition: Showcase traditional and modern community and health system climate adaptation and mitigation strategies at an exhibition, awarding the most impactful practices. These solutions will be shared globally as part of CHAC 2024 outputs, offering models for other communities facing similar challenges.

Global Integration and Influence: Leverage insights from the Mt. Darwin event to strengthen insights at the 1st International Climate and Health Africa Conference. This ensures that local perspectives influence global climate-health strategies, fostering partnerships and driving community-driven solutions.

THE STRATEGIC CHOICE OF MT. DARWIN DISTRICT

Mt. Darwin District is an ideal location for a rural climate and health conference, representing the challenges and resilience of rural Zimbabwe in the face of climate change. The district’s unique conditions make it a microcosm of broader African rural challenges, including extreme weather events and health impacts on vulnerable populations. In collaboration with local government and the Ministries of Health, Environment, Climate, and Wildlife, CeSHHAR has been at the forefront of addressing these issues through initiatives like the Heat Indicators for Global Health Project (High Horizons 2022-2026) and the HAPI project (2023-2026). These projects focus on developing cost-effective climate adaptation interventions and early warning systems for pregnant women, infants, and health workers, aiming to build climate-resilient health systems. Hosting the conference in Mt. Darwin not only showcases these innovative efforts but also emphasizes the district’s role in pioneering climate-health solutions.