Announcement: Dan Ioschpe will lead as COP30 High-Level Champion. Read more here.
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English
Announcement: Dan Ioschpe will lead as COP30 High-Level Champion. Read more here.
Language
English
Providing clean air, safe water, nutritious food, and resilient health systems
Monday, 7 April 2025 | By Climate Champions
The climate crisis is already reshaping global health – from the spread of infectious disease to the erosion of healthcare infrastructure in vulnerable regions. But its impact is most acute at life’s most fragile moments: before, during, and after birth.
This year’s World Health Day theme – Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures – is a reminder that maternal and newborn health is deeply affected by our ability to provide clean air, safe water, nutritious food, and resilient health systems - all of which are under strain in a warming world.
As heatwaves intensify and floods displace millions, healthcare systems - especially in low-resource settings - are being pushed beyond their limits. And it is women, infants, and marginalized communities who pay the highest price.
Yet there is another side to the story: when we invest in climate solutions that are rooted in justice and equity, we also strengthen public health. Cleaner energy reduces respiratory illness. Restored ecosystems support nutrition and disease prevention. Smarter, community-led care improves access when services are stretched.
This World Health Day, we spotlight two Impact Makers advancing health in the face of climate risk. Their work in India and Nigeria shows what’s possible when we treat climate action as a foundation for health, not a separate agenda.
Angela Chaudhuri (India)
Chief Catalyst, Swasti
Location: Bengaluru, India
Angela Chaudhuri leads Swasti, a public health organisation using real-time data to strengthen health systems and improve decision-making. Through the PATCH platform, Swasti has supported authorities in five Indian cities to detect emerging health risks linked to climate stressors – including extreme heat, urban flooding, and deteriorating sanitation infrastructure.
PATCH combines environmental, infrastructure, and health data to identify threats earlier and enable more efficient responses. It has revealed previously overlooked hazards such as unsafe sewer networks and poor lake conditions, prompting targeted interventions. By improving access to timely, localized insights, the platform is helping reduce costs, allocate resources more effectively, and support routine health check-ups in low-income communities.
Angela’s long-term goal is to see PATCH integrated into mainstream health governance, enabling continuous monitoring and collaborative, data-driven decision-making – particularly in contexts where health systems are overstretched or under-resourced.
Maryam Bello (Nigeria)
Co-Founder, Parker’s Mobile Clinic
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
In flood-affected regions of south-east Nigeria, healthcare access can collapse when it is most needed. Maryam Bello co-founded Parker’s Mobile Clinic to help close this gap. Her organisation uses mobile health hubs and telemedicine to reach communities cut off by climate-related disasters. Since 2020, over 100,000 people have received essential care through the programme, with 70% of beneficiaries being women.
The initiative also focuses on building capacity. Fifty local health workers have been trained in climate-resilient practices to ensure continuity of care during extreme weather events. By integrating electronic health records, Parker’s Mobile Clinic has also improved data reliability and operational efficiency.
Maryam’s team is expanding its reach to five new communities and plans to train an additional 100 health workers over the next three years. Their goal is to develop a robust, decentralized healthcare network that can function in conditions where traditional systems falter.
