Our Research
Research Project 1: Heat & Health Surveillance
Understanding the Impacts of Heat on Mothers and Children
Extreme weather eventsUnusual weather, such as very heavy rain, strong storms, or extreme heat. are making extreme heatA period of very hot weather that can be dangerous to health and wellbeing. more common, and its effects on health are often underestimated. Research Project 1 aims to understand how rising temperatures affect the health of mothers and young children in Africa. By analysing existing health and climate data, this project will track and quantify the link between heat exposure and various health conditions in these vulnerable populations.
Data Analysis Approach
We use Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis to combine datasets from multiple studies, offering a richer, more comprehensive view. This approach enhances our ability to detect meaningful patterns and trends across diverse contexts and populations.
How It Works
We search for studies across Africa that have collected relevant health and climate data on mothers and children.
We harmonise datasets into a common format, making them easier to analyse.
Using traditional statistics and machine-learning techniques, we explore connections between heat exposure and health outcomes in mothers and newborns.
Why This Matters
This research aims to provide strong evidence on how high temperatures affect maternal and child health in Africa. The findings will help quantify the burden of rising temperatures on these vulnerable groups and guide efforts to protect them as the climate continues to change.
Research Project 2: Urban Vulnerability & Heat Mapping
Mapping the Impact of Heat in African Cities
Focusing on cities like Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and Johannesburg, South Africa, this project examines how urban living conditions amplify the effects of rising temperatures on public health. Through the development of exposure and vulnerability maps, we identify areas most at risk, supporting the creation of Early Warning Systems to protect vulnerable urban communities across Africa.
Approach to Urban Heat and Health
This project integrates temperature data with social, economic, and environmental information to better understand how factors such as location, healthcare access, and living conditions shape heat-related health risks. This data-driven approach allows us to uncover meaningful patterns that guide targeted public health responses.
How It Works
We gather data on temperature, population density, living conditions, and healthcare access from Abidjan and Johannesburg.
We harmonise the data into a common format, allowing us to develop maps that highlight areas most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.
Using traditional statistics and machine-learning techniques, we analyse the data to inform early warning systems that help predict heatwaves and protect at-risk communities.
Why This Matters
High temperatures in urban areas can lead to serious health problems, including increased hospital visits and even deaths. By understanding the factors that make certain areas and groups more vulnerable to heat, this project will help cities like Abidjan and Johannesburg develop targeted strategies to reduce the risks. This research aims to create a safer urban environment and guide public health responses that are tailored to the unique challenges faced by African cities.
Supplementary Projects
Alongside Research Project 1 and Research Project 2, the centre's award has funded two supplementary projects that extend the core research in more targeted directions.
HarmonAIze
HarmonAIze is a free, locally deployable, open-source toolkit facilitating health data harmonisation, geolocation, and climate exposure linkage.
HarmonAIze leverages large language models, artificial intelligence agents, and embeddings to speed up the mapping and transformation of multiple diverse health data sources to a target format, creating a homogeneous, analysis-ready dataset while keeping sensitive data secure. It also takes users through the semi-automated pipeline of geocoding and climate data linkage, making the process of climate-health research faster and more accessible.
CHEAQI-MNCH
CHEAQI-MNCH is a companion project to the HE²AT Center's work, looking at how air pollution — not just heat — affects the health of pregnant women, newborns, and children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa has very few air quality monitoring stations, so the project is building new ways to estimate pollution levels using satellite images and other data, then checking how accurate those estimates are. It then connects that pollution data to health records from thousands of mothers and babies already involved in HE²AT Center studies, to see how pollution affects things like premature birth and low birth weight.
