Experts have underscored the need for stronger research collaborations, increased investment, and data-driven policies to tackle the growing health challenges of climate change across Africa.
Speaking during a high-level panel on closing research and evidence gaps between climate and health, Dr. Pushpam Kumar, Chief Environmental Economist and Senior Economic Advisor at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), emphasized that sound evidence remains the foundation for effective decision-making in climate and health policy.
“When health tries to position itself within global climate negotiations, the first question always is, ‘where is the evidence’?” posed Dr. Kumar, stressing that without localized data, Africa risks being sidelined in the global climate discourse.
He also added that credible evidence is essential for planning resilient health systems, guiding investments, and ensuring communities are better prepared for climate related health risks.
Further, Dr. Kumar also highlighted the Advancing Research on Climate Change and Health (ARCH) initiative, funded by the FCDO (Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office) and IDRC (International Development Research Centre), which is strengthening systems for continuous evidence generation.
According to the Chief Environmental Economist, the initiative operates through five global research hubs, including two in Africa, to mentor early-career scientists, expand networks, and promote gender responsive research at the primary health care level.
Making her remarks, Dr. Elisabeth Kimani-Murage, from the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), presented the concept of the Eastern Africa Climate and Health Science Policy and Innovation Center (EAT SPICE), an initiative aimed at addressing evidence fragmentation and policy integration in the region.
Though still a concept, EAT SPICE envisions a locally led, transdisciplinary hub that unites research, policy, and community voices to advance climate and health solutions.
“We have many climate policies, but health co-benefits are often missing,” implored Dr. Kimani-Murage assuring that EAT SPICE will bring together data, evidence, and partnerships to ensure equity, justice, and African leadership in research.
She outlined three strategic pillars for the center including high-quality collaborative research that integrates local and indigenous knowledge; policy influence and advocacy to ensure evidence informs practice; and capacity strengthening anchored in diversity, inclusion, and climate justice.
Representing the Lancet Countdown Africa Regional Centre, Dr. Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi also explained that the initiative, as part of the global Lancet Countdown network, tracks and reports on the health impacts of climate change from over 200 experts worldwide.
Dr. Mabhaudhi disclosed that the Africa regional hub was launched to contextualize global data and ensure that the continent’s unique realities inform global indicators and policies.
“Our mandate is not research, but evidence synthesis, policy translation, and advocacy,” he highlighted. “We need to move beyond data collection to wisdom — applying knowledge to influence policy and practice”.
He added that closing Africa’s capacity gap remains key, arguing that real progress depends on building a generation of professionals who can interpret evidence, question decisions, and shape policies at the intersection of climate and health.
At the same time, the session also featured a presentation on the Sub-Saharan Atmospheric Monitoring Service for Africa (SAMSA) by Dr. Bas Henzing, Head of Climate and Air Quality at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research who explained that SAMSA aims to connect health outcomes with air quality and climate data to better understand and manage the growing urban health crisis across African cities.
He lamented that urbanization and rising pollution levels are worsening public health, yet data linking climate variables and health outcomes remains limited.
SAMSA, according to Dr. Henzing, seeks to bridge this gap by integrating real time data from multiple sources, including satellite observations, sensors, and local monitoring systems across national and sub-national levels.
“The challenge is to close the gap between policymakers, scientists, and community workers. We must link climate and air quality data with health indicators to guide interventions and support decision-making,” he urged.
Dr. Henzing described that SAMSA, developed in collaboration with African and European institutions, leverages smart technology, emissions modeling, and on-ground sensors to create a robust monitoring and data sharing platform for the region.
Meanwhile, panelists agreed that Africa’s climate and health resilience depends on collective effort combining scientific research, local knowledge, and policy action.
They emphasized that evidence must be not only available but also visible, credible, and actionable.
By Mary Ndanu
