In a concerted effort to address the growing health threats posed by climate change, Wellcome has announced a significant grant of £22.7 million to fund 11 transdisciplinary teams across 17 countries. The funding, part of Wellcome's Climate Impact Awards, aims to support research projects focused on understanding and mitigating the health impacts of climate change, with a focus on informing scalable policy solutions for vulnerable communities.

Led by diverse teams spanning various countries including India, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Brazil, and the UK, these projects will delve into a wide array of climate-related health challenges. The research endeavors to shed light on the health implications of climate change, aiming to drive evidence-based solutions that can catalyze practical changes in policy at both local and national levels.

Among the noteworthy projects are those spearheaded by Dr. Elizabeth Kimani-Murage from the African Population and Health Research Center in Kenya, which focuses on the nutrition and mental health of women and children in Eastern African drylands. Another project, led by Dr. Anh Ngoc Vu from the National Centre for Social Research in the UK, explores the impact of climate change on the health of Vietnamese outdoor workers. Additionally, Professor Andrea Mechelli and his team from King’s College London will investigate how extreme heat affects the mental health of urban communities in London.

The grant allocation follows alarming health effects observed in 2023, the hottest year on record, which included increased heat-related deaths and a rise in dengue fever cases in South Asia. With 2024 expected to be even hotter, the urgency to address climate-related health risks has never been more pressing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with weaker healthcare systems.

Wellcome's Climate Impact Awards aim to catalyze tangible changes by engaging researchers with decision-makers such as ministers of health and agriculture. By focusing on scalable policy solutions, the initiative seeks to protect human health from the detrimental impacts of climate change.

Madeleine Thomson, Head of Climate Impacts and Adaptation at Wellcome, stressed the importance of understanding the health effects of climate change to drive policy change, ultimately enhancing the well-being of affected communities. Wellcome is now accepting applications for the second round of the Climate Impact Awards, offering grants of up to £2.5 million for further research and impactful interventions.

Article by Jed Mwangi

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https://wellcome.org/news/ps23mn-global-research-protect-human-health-climate-change