The Anga Center for Community Health and Well-being

Columbia Univ New York Morningside, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section East Africa (EA) stands in a critical position as one of the key regions in Africa for US trade and security, but also one of the most vulnerable to extreme weather. EA is especially at risk for severe heatwaves1 and drought,2 and these extreme weather events (EWEs) are known to have a significant impact on health and well-being. This is particularly true for communities with limited financial and material resources to prepare for and cope with extreme weather; yet, there is limited involvement of these communities in research focused on extreme weather and health. Residents of these communities have a profound stake in advancing global understanding of the health impacts of extreme weather and strategies to reduce negative outcomes. They are also key contributors to the development of actionable solutions to improve health and well-being, strengthen local resilience, and minimize disaster-related displacement and migration. The central theme of the Anga Center for Community Health and Well-being is to improve community well-being by exploring the impacts of extreme weather on health and identifying interventions to reduce negative outcomes through transdisciplinary research and sustained engagement with communities and populations most at-risk. The Anga Center will be led by a multinational, multistage, transdisciplinary team of researchers with expertise in social work, extreme weather, natural resource management, environmental engineering and science, migration, public health, biostatistics, psychiatry, community development, intervention science, community-based participatory research, and women’s health. The team brings a strong history of ethical, community-engaged research in EA. With a commitment to long-term collaboration and capacity building, the Center aims to support communities through infrastructure development; technical training; knowledge sharing; the creation of career opportunities in EWE preparedness, risk management, and health; and key opportunities for networking stakeholders. We will pursue the following aims: (1) foster research that promotes community health and well-being through exploration of the impacts of extreme weather and interventions that minimize negative impacts in low-resourced, at-risk communities in EA; (2) build local and regional extreme weather and health research capacity by fostering long-term transdisciplinary and community partnerships, enhancing local data collection and methodologies, and expanding opportunities for knowledge sharing and mentorship; and (3) promote sustained engagement with communities most vulnerable to extreme weather through multi-directional relationships, community-based participatory research, and efforts to enhance health and well-being. Together, these efforts will create a sustainable research platform that expands critical science, improves health, strengthens in-situ resilience, and reduces the need for displacement and migration due to extreme weather.