Data-driven ways to reduce heat-related illness in Africa
Official title: Developing data science solutions to mitigate the health impacts of heat in Africa: the HE2AT Center
Funded at Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD · NIH-11145676 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using health, weather, and air-quality data to help protect people in sub‑Saharan Africa—especially pregnant people and newborns—from heat-related health problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Parktown, South Africa) |
| Project start | September 15, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $785,441 |
| NIH project number | 5U54TW012083-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145676 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living in sub‑Saharan Africa are the main focus, with special attention to pregnant people and newborns whose health information is included in existing regional cohorts or trials.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals outside sub‑Saharan Africa or those without linked health or location data are unlikely to see direct benefits from the Center's initial projects.
What this research studies
A multi-country team is building a linked data system that combines health records with weather, air quality, and location information to spot when heat harms people. They will reuse existing pregnancy and newborn data collected across sub‑Saharan Africa and run two main projects plus several pilot projects to test practical solutions. The Center includes training, community engagement, and data-management efforts so findings can be used by health workers and public-health programs. Over five years the goal is to turn these linked data and analyses into tools and guidance that lower heat-related illness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce early-warning tools, guidance, and targeted actions that reduce heat-related illness and deaths, particularly for pregnant people and newborns in the region.
How similar studies have gone: Heat‑health early-warning systems have reduced harm in some settings, but combining large African pregnancy and newborn datasets with weather and air-quality data at this scale is largely new.
Where this research is happening
-
Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD
Parktown, South Africa Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chersich, Matthew Francis — Wits Health Consortium (Pty), LTD
- Study coordinator: Chersich, Matthew Francis
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.