COP29 is currently underway. This year’s event focuses on a handful of key areas, and we want to highlight one of them: “adaptation”. Adaptation has often been overshadowed by mitigation, yet it is crucial as climate impacts worsen. COP29 is a pivotal opportunity to prioritise adaptation and secure the necessary resources.
At Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), our population science programme is proud to support climate adaptation through three key projects:
ASTRA Project: This four-year initiative aims to strengthen community and health system resilience to extreme weather events (EWEs) for marginalised populations living with HIV and/or tuberculosis in Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. By using co-designed interdisciplinary approaches, ASTRA seeks to propose, prioritise and evaluate feasible interventions to help communities and health systems prevent, prepare for, and respond to health risks associated with EWEs.
WEMA Project: Over 36 months, WEMA explores the impact of EWEs on the mental health of marginalised populations in Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Kenya and South Africa. As climate change intensifies, the mental health repercussions of heatwaves, floods and droughts are significant and demand attention. This collaborative effort involves seven partners working together to address these challenges and shape effective responses and policies.
S3E Project: This three-year study evaluates the socioeconomic, healthcare utilisation, and productivity loss impacts of the April 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods on people living with HIV. The project aims to compare the experiences of residents of Ndwedwe (iLembe district) and Somkhele (uMkhanyakude district) in South Africa, and work with multidisciplinary stakeholders and local actors to identify and prioritise policy actions and interventions that will help reduce flood impacts on people living with HIV.
Keep an eye on our platforms to learn more about how these projects are making a difference in the fight against climate change.