Improving health professionals’ capacity to respond to the climate crisis in Africa: outcomes of the Africa climate and health responder course
The course significantly improved participants' self-reported confidence and perceived preparedness, with increases in: climate-health awareness (+22%); confidence in risk communication (+40%); preparedness for adaptation and resilience (+36-37%), and professional responsibility in climate-health action (+21%). These findings highlight not only the feasibility and effectiveness of virtual training in this context, but also the opportunity for scaling such initiatives to build a climate-resilient health workforce across Africa. Skilled professionals are key to fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration, integrating climate-health education, and engaging communities-efforts that require sustained investment in capacity building to institutionalize competencies and strengthen public health systems and policies over the long term.
Authors
- Caroline M. Gichuki
- H Weinstein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8409-4654)
- Sean Mark Patrick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0364-0068)
- Cecilia Sorensen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7756-5208)
- Alex Riolexus Ario (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3560-1952)
- Sokhna Thiam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3711-8814)
- Patrick Opiyo Owili (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9417-8947)
- Nicola Hamacher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7936-2794)
- Yewande Alimi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2984-7817)
- Vincent Pagiwa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1786-3430)
- Joanes Atela (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5794-7658)
- Margaret Kaseje (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9789-1927)
- Haley Campbell
- Bruce Struminger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4780-2257)
- Glory Mbe Egom Nja (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3103-4663)
- Shawn M. D’Andrea
- Woldekidan Amde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0511-4096)
- Danielly Magalhães
- Hervé Hien
- Marian Offei
- Charles A. Michael
Institutions
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- New Mexico Department of Health (US)
- University of Botswana (BW)
- University of New Mexico (US)
- Kampala International University (UG)
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health (US)
- University of Calabar (NG)
- Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (ET)
- Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (BE)
- Aga Khan University Nairobi (KE)
- Ethiopian Public Health Association (ET)
- Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (US)
- African Population and Health Research Center (KE)
- Energy, Environment and Development Network for Africa (KE)
- University of Pretoria (ZA)
- Columbia University (US)
- University of the Western Cape (ZA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Frontiers in Public Health
- Published
- 2025-10-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1617723
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.20