Background
Rising temperatures and frequent heatwaves in Africa pose serious - though often overlooked - health risks, especially for vulnerable populations in low-income settings. Early Warning Systems (EWS) in Africa are inadequate as they do not rely on actual health outcome data, resulting in a limited understanding of how to track the health effects of climate change or assess the effectiveness of related health services. The HE²AT Centre addresses this by harnessing big data and modern data science methods to help identify effective adaptation strategies and optimise climate change responses across the continent.
Aims and Objectives
The HE²AT Center aims to create innovative solutions to reduce the health impacts of climate change in Africa. Its primary goals are to:
- Develop EWS and monitoring systems.
- Build data science and climate change research capacity, serving as a key resource for African climate initiatives.
Methods
The HE²AT Center brings together a transdisciplinary team of academic and non-academic partners from three regions of Africa—South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, and Kenya—and collaborators from the United States. The project includes two main research sub-projects:
-
Maternal and Newborn Health: Research Project 1 (RP1) investigates the impact of extreme heat on maternal and newborn health across Africa. Using existing data from research studies and routine health information systems, the project analyses data from multiple countries to assess the health effects of extreme heat and evaluate various health indicators.
-
Urban Heat Island Effect: Research Project 2 studies the urban heat island effect in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. By combining satellite data, environmental data (e.g., vegetation, air pollution), and health outcome data from clinical trials and cohorts, this project will develop an EWS that can predict extreme heat events. The EWS will use machine learning to tailor risk warnings based on individual characteristics like age, location, and health factors, providing more targeted risk communication than existing systems.
The HE²AT Center also serves as a platform for future climate and health research projects across Africa
Anticipated Impact
Over the next five to ten years, the HE²AT Center aims to establish a robust data science and analytical platform capable of documenting the effects of extreme heat, informing more responsive EWS, and enhancing climate-health monitoring systems throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Role of Wits PHR
The Wits Planetary Health Research Division (Wits PHR) serves as the overall project lead, with Prof. Matthew Chersich as the Principal Investigator. It also coordinates the research, data analysis, and development of the EWS.
Partners
The HE²AT Center is a collaborative effort involving partners across Africa and the US, including:
-
CeSHHAR Zimbabwe
-
University of Cape Town, South Africa
-
University Peleforo Gon Coulibaly of Korhogo, Côte d'Ivoire
-
IBM Research Africa
-
University of Michigan
-
University of Washington
Funding and Programme Acknowledgement
The HE²AT Center is part of the NIH's flagship Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa) programme. A U54 grant under the NIH Common Fund supports it. For more information, visit HE²AT Center and NIH DS-I Africa.