New pilot project to track how climate change drives disease

The government is set to pilot a project to quantify climate-related health impacts by integrating climate and health data into early warning systems, officials have announced. ALSO READ: Climate change linked to low life expectancy, says WHO Current data on climate–health interactions, particularly in Africa, is often fragmented. Rising temperatures, wildfires, extreme weather events and increasing air pollution caused by climate change and their impact on human health are recognised as a major global concern. The system aims to quantify these impacts to enable early disease warnings, predicting diarrhoeal disease surges, and measuring the effects of air pollution. ALSO READ: Scientists warn of malaria in Northern province as temperatures rise Experts have said that countries need regular, reliable and comparable data to monitor climate impacts and inform adaptation strategies. Aimable Gahigi, Director General of the Rwanda Meteorology Agency, said that scientists, environmental specialists and statisticians from 23 countries and more than 65 institutions gathered last week in Kigali to discuss how nations will quantify the impact of climate change on health. “There are growing health threats posed by climate change across the continent. Heatwaves harm the vulnerable, floods and storms disrupt lives, vector- and waterborne diseases increase, and air pollution silently affects millions. These are not abstract trends, but daily realities,” he explained. He added that evidence-based public health responses depend on strong data systems. “Without robust data, effective responses are impossible. Resilience begins with credible, timely and trusted information.” The initiative, dubbed Standards for Official Statistics on Climate Health Interactions (SOSCHI) and endorsed by a UN expert group, aims to advance global research on climate and health, address gaps in the knowledge base, and support national monitoring and evidence-based policy. ALSO READ: Climate change, resilient health systems take centre stage at Kigali global dialogue The project is spearheaded by the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), in collaboration with the AIMS Research and Innovation Centre (AIMS RIC) in Rwanda and the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) in Ghana, and is funded by the Wellcome organisation. It includes the development of a statistical framework and an online platform of recommended indicators. “Rwanda is proud to be a pilot country leading this effort,” Gahigi said. A range of indicators based on state-of-the-art statistical methods will estimate climate-related health risks. “Through the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, we are integrating SOSCHI indicators into national statistical systems to ensure reliable, independent production year after year,” Gahigi noted. The initiative is supported by several institutions in Rwanda, including the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), Rwanda Space Agency, and Meteo Rwanda. “Linking climate data to health outcomes is a national priority. The project will enable us to measure how climate change affects population health in Africa and beyond,” Wilfred Ndifon, President of AIMS RIC said. He noted: “Together with the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, we guided the project to ensure it addresses national priorities regarding the health impacts of climate change. The project helps countries measure these impacts, enabling responsive policies tailored to community needs.” Malaria and respiratory diseases in Rwanda He added that climate-related health impact indicators were applied to specific diseases in Rwanda. ALSO READ: What climate change means for public health “For example, we have quantified the impacts of climate change on malaria and respiratory diseases, providing the government with actionable, evidence-based information for policy-making.” The initiative covers 10 topics: extreme weather events (flooding and wildfires), water-related health impacts, airborne diseases (such as cerebrospinal meningitis), air pollution, vector-borne diseases, malnutrition, health care systems and facilities, heat- and cold-related mortality, exposure to chemical contaminants, and mental health. Diseases triggered by climate change impacts include air pollution-related illnesses, airborne diseases, waterborne diseases, vector-borne diseases, and non-communicable diseases. Studies show malaria incidence attributable to extreme temperature and rainfall, as well as diarrhoeal disease incidence linked to extreme temperature and rainfall. “Data sharing remains a major challenge in Rwanda and across Africa, and without consistent, accessible, interoperable data, national statistics institutes cannot sustain this work,” stated Juliet Kabera, Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA). Fidèle Bingwa, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, added that climate and health data would help justify the budgets needed for climate resilience and public health. “Without a culture of data collection and a strong working relationship with the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Statistics, there is a gap. That is exactly why we joined this initiative—to finally link climate change and public health through real indicators and historical data.” Lucinda Eggleton, Director of Health and International at the UK ONS, said: “Monitoring the health impacts of climate change is an emerging field where innovative statistical approaches can rapidly inform understanding, action and policy. Climate change interacts with multiple health outcomes from vector-borne diseases to mental health and data allows us to identify problems and design effective interventions.” Belém Health Action Plan at COP30 According to the World Health Organisation’s Belém Health Action Plan, adopted at COP30, countries must strengthen epidemiological and environmental monitoring capacities to support evidence-based measures that prevent or reduce climate-related health impacts. A declaration announced in Kigali stated that “there is an urgent need for better information on the health impacts of climate hazards.” The SOSCHI framework provides a statistical basis for measuring the key health impacts of climate change. These indicators have been endorsed by the UN Expert Group on Climate Change and Environment Statistics as part of the global set of climate-change indicators. Kigali’s declaration said: “SOSCHI indicators should be implemented and integrated into national statistical systems to support climate–health strategies, with a focus on priority areas such as extreme weather, water-related health impacts, vector-borne diseases, mental health, and other areas depending on national context.” It emphasised that statistical capacity in low- and middle-income countries must be strengthened, especially in civil registration and the efficient collection of health data. Stronger data-sharing mechanisms are essential. “We invite national statistics offices, ministries of health, research institutions, and funders to join us as we pilot and scale up the SOSCHI framework to strengthen statistical capacity and data availability, and deliver validated climate–health methods that inform policy, build resilience, and protect population health in the face of climate change,” the declaration concluded. “There is no adaptation without metrics. You cannot adapt to what you do not know, and you cannot know what you do not measure. Indicators are therefore critical—not just for raising questions, but for informing decisions,” said Christian Muragijimana, Senior Research Analyst in climate change adaptation and climate risk management at PlanAdapt. While Rwanda has made significant progress on climate adaptation, he argued that lessons from different contexts will ensure that these indicators are designed to respond to African realities. “Climate action is health action. As we expand beyond traditional climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and infrastructure, we must embed these indicators into daily practice. Policies and decisions must reflect the evidence generated by these datasets. It is essential that adaptation measures are grounded in the data and insights provided by these indicators,” he added.

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New pilot project to track how climate change drives disease