Heat-related health risk data science solutions in Africa to protect patients
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-11515117 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A US-South Africa research center is using data science and AI to understand how extreme heat affects health and use lessons to protect people in the United States.
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 | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $299,297 |
| NIH project number | 3U54TW012083-05S4 |
| Project ID | NIH-11515117 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with cardiovascular, respiratory, or renal conditions, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and older adults living in areas with high heat exposure.
✕Less likely to help
People not exposed to extreme heat or without heat-related health risk may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
The HE2AT Center brings together researchers in Africa and the US to study how heat exposure worsens conditions like heart and kidney disease and affects vulnerable groups such as pregnant women. It uses big health and weather data to build AI tools that predict who is at highest risk on hot days. The project aims to translate findings into practical strategies that could reduce heat-related illness and death in both Africa and the United States.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to better heat-health risk prediction and targeted protections for at-risk patients during extreme heat.
How similar studies have gone: Previous large-scale cohorts and trials on heat health provide a foundation, with this center applying advanced data science to enhance translation.
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.