EQUINET’s recommendations on integrated urban health in 2024 in Eastern and Southern Africa include measures to BUILD health promoting integrated improvements for urban health, including supporting the locally produced technologies for this. This case study exemplifies the ‘BUILD’ agenda in its domestic investment in technology R&D, and in a supportive technology ecosystem for locally appropriate, climate-sensitive technologies and infrastructures that build links between food, waste and energy systems. This case study illustrates a promising practice in the construction of a biodigester at the Ecole Nationale des Sous-Officiers d’Active (ENSOA) in Antsirabe Madagascar.It is based on key informant interviews after consent and review of published documents collected in May 2025. Despite the initial challenges, the biodigester at ENSOA has yielded notable results. The use of firewood has decreased by 30%, reducing pressure on forest resources and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Organic waste now has effective value, strengthening the environmental sustainability of ENSOA. The biogas produced enables the school to partially meet its energy needs, providing around eight hours of cooking time per day for approximately 700 people.
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The final thematic webinar in EQUINET's climate and health equity webinar series was held in March 2025, It brought together 52 participants from east and southern Africa and internationally, focusing on the interplay for health equity between climate and migration in and beyond the region. Organised and moderated by TARSC, three panellists gave presentations: Mr Francis Pawandiwa, Coordinator, Nyahunure Community Trust, Mutoko district, Zimbabwe, from a community lens; Dr Moeketsi Modisenyane, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Pretoria, from a national and regional lens and Hannah Marcus, Environmental Health Working Group, World Federation of Public Health Associations, covering the international lens. People migrate to exploit new resources and opportunities, or are forced to migrate due to conflict, land expropriations, economic, food and water insecurity, emergencies and loss of livelihoods. When climate changes intensify these drivers, it also increases migration. The webinar interrogated the relationships between climate, migration and health equity at the local, national and global levels, and suggested actions to be taken to mitigate the impacts. This brief summarises the key issues raised on the role of climate change as a risk multiplier of drivers in sending communities leading to migration, for affected migrants along the route, and in the receiving communities. It highlights their health equity impacts in these three groups, the responses to these impacts and areas for further research.
EQUINET through TARSC in association with colleagues from the Global Climate and Health Alliance and Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul will hold an online meeting on Tuesday 30th September 12noon -1330pm Southern Africa time on 'Strategies for engaging with the public health impacts of climate change and fossil fuels". The meeting will hear from two international presenters: Shweta Narayan, Global Climate and Health Alliance on a Public health strategy to challenge health and climate impacts of the fossil fuel industry, and Carlos Dora, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on Health impact assessment to respond to commercial determinants of climate change. The presentations will be followed by discussion. This will be a unique oppportunity to be part of a dialogue that also aims to inform research, policy engagement and online training in the region. Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8YweFlRzTNq8xhS_DceNiw for further information and to be included in the session.
EQUINET’s recommendations on integrated urban health in 2024 in Eastern and Southern Africa include measures to BUILD and ENABLE health promoting integrated improvements for urban health, including those that link improved environments to health (EQUINET, 2024). This case study exemplifies the ‘BUILD’ and ‘ENABLE’ agenda through a town council and social enterprise support of local income generating plastic waste reduction and recycling. The initiative has built women and young people’s skills in recycling and supported incomes, while also visibly reducing plastic pollution and protecting the environment. The initiative was enabled by strong community engagement and local leadership. Involving community members in its design and implementation built trust and relevance and fostered a sense of ownership that supports sustainability. The collaboration with schools, religious institutions and informal sector workers fostered a community centred circular economy that promotes equity, environmental conservation, and youth empowerment. The use of accessible, low-tech methods minimised the need for expensive infrastructure or specialised skills. Ideas could be adopted and replicated using locally available materials and knowledge. A revenue-generating model producing marketable goods, the contribution of the founder and fees obtained for the training has sustained operations and created income streams that reduce dependency on external funding.
EQUINET’s recommendations on integrated urban health in 2024 in Eastern and Southern Africa include measures to ENABLE health promoting integrated improvements for urban health (EQUINET, 2024). This case study provides an example of this ‘ENABLE’ agenda by institutionalizing health impact assessment (HIA), linking where relevant with environment impact assessment, for policies that have high health impact in urban areas. The case study illustrates implementation of a health impact assessment (HIA) of the 2019 Malawi National Urban Policy was implemented in February to June 2024 in informal settlements in Lilongwe Malawi to show the situation and health impacts relating to the waste management, hygiene, safe water and clean energy services and to recommend improvements in line with the policy. The assessment recommendations, such as on budget resources and services and integration of community representatives in urban planning were tabled with the local authorities and have led to improvements in and commitments to increase funding for these areas. The authorities indicated as feedback that the HIA assists them to interrogate existing problems, their causes and what needs to be done in line with existing policy and legal frameworks. The team saw that the HIA process creates an evidence-backed platform for engagement between residents and authorities to improve service delivery and improve health outcomes in these areas.
This brief from the webinar on Climate, land rights and agroecological links to pandemics summarises key issues raised related to: climate links to land and agro-ecology in the region and the impacts on health equity and pandemics; actions proposed to address these issues at local, national, regional and in global level processes; and issues for further research and discussion. The session noted that current agricultural practices in East and Southern Africa are creating significant environmental and health challenges. Industrial agriculture relies heavily on chemical pesticides, which contribute to biodiversity loss, soil and water pollution, and increased zoonotic disease risks, exacerbating climate change impacts and creating conditions that make communities more vulnerable to pandemics. To address these challenges webinar speakers and participants noted that policies need to be re-oriented to support smallholder farmers and provide land security. Trade agreements that undermine seed sovereignty must be rejected and a One Health approach must be implemented to manage zoonotic disease risks. The brief emphasizes the importance of integrating climate adaptation and food security into local and national plans, and ensuring that farmer-led solutions are central to trade, investment, and climate policy discussions.
In 2024 the regional community of practice on urban health in EQUINET proposed 10 recommendations on areas of practice and policy to build, enable and amplify climate-responsive integrated healthy urban food, waste and ecosystems in ESA. A brief (on the EQUINET website) indicates that we already have many examples of practices in these areas. This call is seeking case study examples of promising sustained practice, policy or measures within urban and peri-urban areas in ESA countries or if relevant at regional level relevant to water, energy, green spaces, climate and local economies that show innovation in one or more of the five areas The selected case studies should be drafted in May 2025 and provide evidence showing the learning in a 5-6 page brief with photographs written in an accessible style on the specific practice(s) underway that demonstrate one or more of the five areas. These five areas are explained in the call with the details requested to be sent by those responding. EQUINET will provide review, copy edit and layout and publishing of the case study in July 2025 for wider dissemination on the EQUINET website and in an updated recommendations brief. The authors will be integrated into activities and partnerships of the regional community of practice on urban health.
This webinar discusses the most critical drivers of climate-related migration in the region and how they affect differentials in both opportunities for and threats to improved wellbeing. We hear from key panellists from community, national and international/global lens and discuss how far current policies and actions address the health risks and benefits of climate-related mobility, and what strategies and integrated approaches can prevent or mitigate the risks and maximise benefits. Register now in advance to receive a confirmation email with further information on the meeting and your link to join.
Call for applicants for the 2025 online training in Health Impact Assessment closing 5pm February 4 2025. EQUINET is through TARSC and in association with regional (SATUCC, Talk AB[M]R) ECSA Health Community and international partners (Nossal Institute of Global Health, C Dora) convening online training and mentored case work to build HIA capacities in ESA countries. The course will provide materials and interactive presentations on the policy and legal basis of HIA, the steps, methods, evidence, analysis in and reporting of an HIA, and the monitoring of recommendations. Trainees will plan and implement a mentored case study HIA in teams over the course period. The capacity building will be implemented in ten online (zoom) training sessions in four course blocks, staggered at intervals between April 28 and July 31 2025. After two or three online course sessions of 2 hours each in a block, there will be a month before the next block to give time for 2 online tutorials with mentors to guide teams to work at self-arranged times on the HIA steps covered in the training for their own case studies. There will be four course blocks in the period. Participants satisfactorily completing the course will receive a certificate of completion. This document outlines the information for applicants for the course.
Climate justice and equity, is an urgent issue for communities, countries, and the region, and intersects with, impacts on and is intensified by other areas of inequality that the Regional Network for Equity in Health in east and southern Africa (EQUINET) is focused on. Given this, EQUINET is sharing knowledge, experiences and learning on health equity impacts of climate in webinars on various areas of health equity. The sixth webinar and this brief from it focuses on the interplay between land rights, climate agro-ecology, and pandemic risks. The webinar interrogated these relationships at the local, national and global levels and suggested actions to be taken to mitigate the impacts particularly on these drivers of health and well-being of people and natural resources.