Conducting cutting-edge planetary health research
Developing early warning systems and health monitoring tools for Africa's vulnerable populations
Exploring the biological links between heat exposure and preterm birth in South Africa.
Investigating how rising temperatures impact maternal and child health across multiple continents.
Advancing planetary health through collaborative research, education, and advocacy.
Wits Planetary Health Research (Wits PHR) is dedicated to advancing investigator-led research at the intersection of climate change and health. Our primary focus is understanding how extreme heat impacts vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, infants, and those residing in urban heat islands. By integrating traditional statistical methods with cutting-edge data science, we assess the risks of heat exposure and investigate the biological pathways underlying these effects.
We collaborate with leading universities in Africa, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as international organisations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and IBM.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following organisations whose contributions enable our research:
Wellcome funds two key research projects: The BioHEAT study: Investigating the biological pathways from heat exposure to preterm birth and other adverse maternal and child health outcomes in South Africa Under Grant Number 27204/Z/23/Z; and the Global Heat Attribution Project (GHAP): Researching the health impacts of heat exposure globally Under Grant Number 309105/Z/24/Z.
The HE²AT Center is funded by the NIH Common Fund and managed by the Fogarty International Center under Award Number 1U54TW012083-01. It is supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa) and the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) of the NIH.
Data Science, Climate Change Research
Developing early warning systems and health monitoring tools for Africa's vulnerable populations.
Population, Public Health
Data Science, Heat-Health, Transdisciplinary
A division of Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Ltd
If you have any questions or need help, feel free to contact with our team.
: (+27) 11 0812135
Building C, Sunnyside Office Park, 32 Princess of Wales Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2193, South Africa