Determine within existing birth/child cohorts in South Africa and Ethiopia and a new cohort in Zimbabwe, whether relationships exist between microenvironment temperature and thermal comfort indices and adverse respiratory health, particularly pre-clinical distal airways of the lungs. The multicentre approach provides an opportunity to explore differences present in different contexts in sub-Saharan Africa.
Establish new or engage with existing Community of Practice networks at the local level involving stakeholders to engage on heat and child health, and determine appropriate strategies and interventions to protect the health of children.
To gain insights into the lived experiences, diverse perspectives, and subjective interpretations of children and their caregivers regarding the impact of temperature on children’s general health. This qualitative inquiry will inform the development of culturally appropriate and contextually relevant interventions and policies that effectively address the needs of target populations.
Based on the findings of Objectives 2-4, culturally and contextually appropriate, cost-effective, scalable interventions for child-focused environments, such as the home, school and recreational facilities, will be developed in consultation with all the stakeholders. These will be drawn from a broad package of environmental, administrative and educational categories.
Translate epidemiological findings and intervention evaluations into policy through engagement with appropriate government agencies, including local governments’ health and education divisions, with strategies to scale up to national and international arenas.
