RC3 Long Night of Research: Bridging Health Gaps: Leveraging research to address the health impacts of climate change

Climate change presents a fundamental threat to human health worldwide. Research shows that 3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change today. Climate change not only contributes to increasing the scale, frequency and intensity of major natural hazards but also threatens health infrastructures, mental health and exposes populations to higher risks of contracting life-threatening diseases such as malaria, cholera or typhoid. This roundtable proposes to explore the health impacts of climate change, focusing on how research can help us face, address and better respond to some of these risks. It will highlight important RCRC research initiatives conducted in Cameroon, Chad and Nepal and discuss how research findings and evidence can help the RCRC Movement better support people affected by climate change to lead safe, healthy and dignified lives.

Speakers: 

• Markus Bakaira, University lecturer and consultant Geomatics Laboratory, University of Ngaoundéré (Cameroon). (Research project: Community resilience to the health impacts of climate change in the Logone plain (Far North Cameroon and Chad. Funded by the French Red Cross Foundation).
• Ilja Ormel, Senior Manager Health Intelligence, Research and Development Canadian Red Cross. (Research project: Climate Change, Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment – A research partnership between Nepal Red Cross Society and Canadian Red Cross)
• Shona Whitton, Technical Advisor, Mental Health & Psychosocial Support MHPSS Hub & Georgina Campbell, MHPSS Consultant. (Research project: Mental Health & Climate Change. Hot and Bothered: Applying the Five Elements Framework to the Climate Crisis)

You can access the main platform of the event to see the general program and register to the event here.