Protecting people in Africa from harmful heat
Developing data science solutions to mitigate the health impacts of heat in Africa: the HE2AT Center Project
This project builds data tools to help communities and health teams prevent heat-related illness, with special focus on pregnant women and newborns in sub-Saharan Africa.
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 ID | NIH-11396881 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The Center combines health records with local weather, air quality, and location data to find when and where heat is harming people. The team will reuse existing cohort and trial data from pregnant women and newborns across sub-Saharan Africa and link those records to environmental information using advanced data-science platforms. Over five years they will run two main research projects and about a dozen pilot projects, supported by cores for data management, training, and community engagement. Local and international partners aim to turn findings into practical warnings, clinical guidance, and public-health actions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People most relevant are pregnant women, newborns (and their caregivers), and community members living in heat-exposed areas of sub-Saharan Africa covered by participating cohorts or health programs.
Not a fit: People who live outside the covered regions or who are not part of the linked cohorts and datasets are unlikely to see direct benefits from this Center's work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce warning systems, clinical guidance, and policies that reduce heat-related illness and better protect pregnant women and babies.
How similar studies have performed: Linking health and weather data has helped identify heat risks in other places, but applying large-scale data science to protect pregnant women and newborns in sub-Saharan Africa is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Parktown, South Africa
- 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 below.