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From mental health to mosquitoes - six new projects to combat the health impacts of climate change
Climate change is a severe and continually growing threat to global human health. To support essential research in this field, we are launching six new projects – with a total investment of over £1.5million - to explore the health impacts of climate change in both sub-Saharan Africa and the UK.
It is thought that over 40 percent of the world’s population – around 3.6 billion people – are highly vulnerable to climate change.
As global temperatures continue to rise, we can expect to see more severe and intense natural disasters, leading to death, injury, and displacement of entire communities. The World Health Organization estimates that climate change-related illnesses and diseases will cause 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050.
We are already witnessing various health impacts of climate change, including shifting patterns of infectious disease, heat-related illnesses and deaths, increased food insecurity, and a range of mental health issues driven by disrupted social cohesion.
Despite this, accurately measuring these impacts remains challenging, which has limited mitigation efforts so far. There is an urgent need for greater investment in this field.
At the Foundation, we are funding six new 'Impact of Climate Change on Health' projects, investing more than £1.5 million in this area.
Read more about the awarded projects below.
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Examining the mental health effects of climate change in rural Kenya
Dr Symon Kariuki and Dr Claire Niedzwiedz, from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and University of Glasgow (respectively), will explore how climate change is affecting people’s mental health and wellbeing in Kenya.
Local communities are especially vulnerable to weather events in Kenya, and the changing climate can be extremely damaging to mental health. Losing crops and animals can lead to loss of livelihoods, food insecurity and forced migration. Moreover, climate-related disasters can lead to feelings of anxiety and hopelessness, which in turn can disrupt relationships and employment.
Dr Kariuki and Dr Niedzwiedz will develop new methods for measuring eco-anxiety within the cultural context of Kenya. They aim to use their improved understanding to roll out targeted interventions that can mitigate the psychological toll of climate change.
Exploring how floods affect pregnancy and wellbeing in Accra and Hull
Dr Samuel Adjorlolo from the University of Ghana and Dr Amanda Mason-Jones from the University of York will investigate the impact of flood events on maternal health in two coastal cities: Accra, in Ghana, and Kingston upon Hull, in the UK.
As our climate changes, flooding events are becoming increasingly common and severe. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to these impacts.
To address this issue, the team will interview pregnant women at the time of flood events in Accra and Hull to document their experiences, including how they accessed health services in these unprecedented conditions. They will also use routine data from Ghana to compare antenatal care, delivery and postnatal wellbeing for people living in flooded and non-flooded areas.
All of this information will be used to develop a flood-health access vulnerability model, building on geographical information systems to predict future flood risks and vulnerabilities.
Investigating mosquito populations in Kenya
Dr Shehu Shagari Awandu from the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science & Techology and Dr Emilie Pondeville from the University of Glasgow will study two Kenyan mosquito populations, Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti.
Among other impacts, climate change is raising temperatures and altering patterns of rainfall, which in turn is affecting how mosquito populations transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya. This poses a significant threat to public health globally, especially in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria is already a major health concern.
In this study, the researchers will study both Anopheles and Aedes mosquitoes under changing environmental conditions and examine how they transmit diseases. They aim to improve understanding of vector-borne diseases in Kenya and, in turn, shape better public health strategies.
Understanding the mental health effects of climate change for women and children in Africa
Dr Benedict Weobong from the University of Ghana and Dr Seyi Soremekun from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine will address evidence gaps in sub-Saharan Africa concerning the mental health effects of climate change.
Climate change-related events in sub-Saharan Africa are expected to be significant, creating direct or indirect impacts on the community’s mental health. Researchers predict that women and children will be most acutely affected, given that they are already at high risk of poor mental health and other systemic vulnerabilities.
To investigate this further, the researchers will assess climate and mental health datasets in sub-Saharan Africa. This will enable them to explore climate-driven mental health effects for these vulnerable groups. As a long-term result of their work, the researchers aim to improve the provision of mental health services in this region.
Predicting the impact of climate change on mosquito-borne diseases
Dr Sulaiman Ibrahim from the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, Cameroon and Dr Ilaria Dorigatti from Imperial College London are using data from field mosquito laboratory experiments in Nigeria to predict the climate change effects on mosquito-borne diseases.
Mosquito-borne viruses are passed from human to human through their bites. Since mosquitoes are cold-blooded, their life cycle and survival depend on environmental temperature and, by extension, humidity.
The team will study the impact of variation in temperature and humidity on the fitness of the Aedes mosquito population. They will then feed their generated data into mathematical models that mimic the transmission of viruses from mosquitoes to humans. Through this method, the researchers aim to predict the spread of mosquito-borne diseases and levels of infection risk around the world.
Assessing the effects of high temperature on kidney function
Dr Muzamil Olamide Hassan from Obafemi Awolowo University and Dr Raina Ramnath from the University of Bristol are working to evaluate heat stress and the incidence of acute kidney injury in agricultural workers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
In Nigeria, temperatures have risen significantly in recent years. For example, in April 2022, one of the hottest months, maximum temperatures across the country ranged from 37 to 43°C. As a result, vulnerable people across Nigeria are suffering from extreme heat stress, particularly outdoor and manual workers. In general, agricultural workers - who often labour in hot conditions - are at an increased risk of heat stress and dehydration, which can lead to repeated cases of acute kidney injury (AKI).
This study will investigate the effects of high temperatures on kidney function in Nigerian agricultural workers. The researchers aim to explore the link between AKI and factors such as hyperthermia (heat illness), dehydration and hyperosmolarity (high blood solute concentrations). The results will provide a clearer picture of kidney damage among Nigerian agricultural workers, so that effective intervention options can be put in place.
Funding supports researchers to make real-world impacts with their research
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