The challenge

WHO estimates that, between 2030 and 2050, climate change will likely cause an additional 250 000 deaths a year from malnutrition, disease and heat stress.

Climate change impacts are most likely to affect countries in the Global South severely, particularly in Africa. Within countries, disadvantaged populations are least able to adapt to a changing environment. Those most at risk include women, children, older people and people with pre-existing health conditions. Climate change is therefore magnifying existing health inequalities, both between and within countries. The World Bank estimates that a warmer climate could lead to at least 21 million additional deaths by 2050 from five health risks: extreme heat, stunting, diarrhoea, malaria and dengue.

COVID-19 illustrated the need for effective pandemic preparedness. Global health security is dependent on effective pandemic prevention, preparedness and response capabilities within countries to prevent outbreaks from escaping out of control.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), whereby infections do not respond to commonly used treatments, is already a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Many childhood infections can no longer be treated with standard antibiotics, requiring use of more expensive or more toxic alternatives. In 2019, bacterial AMR caused 250,000 deaths and contributed to more than a million deaths in the region.

Our contributions

We have established a new programme focused on the health impacts of climate change in multiple African settings. We look at the impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations, and adaptation to minimise these impacts.

During  COVID-19 pandemic we pivoted our research and contributed to multiple vaccine trials as well as the WHO’s Solidarity Therapeutics Trial, generating evidence that made important contributions to national and global policymaking. Our  clinical trial infrastructure is a critical resource that can be deployed in the event of a new pandemic.

We have also made major contributions to global policy discussions on pandemic preparedness and the need to address inequities in access to new medical interventions, including vaccines, when global pandemics arise.

We have contributed to several clinical trials of new vaccines, therapeutics or treatment regimens for globally and regionally important AMR pathogens. These include trials of new TB vaccines such as M72/AS01E and shortened treatments for drug-resistant TB, as well as vaccine and drug trials targeting gonococcal infections.