Accelerating climate action for health

The Pathfinder Initiative aims to accelerate a just transition to a healthy, sustainable future by providing evidence to inform policies and actions that bring benefits to both climate and health.

As part of the first phase of the project, researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine carried out a review of existing evidence on the health benefits of climate action and gathered case studies from around the world of implemented solutions with measured greenhouse gas emissions reductions and health benefits. The findings are published in the report of the Lancet Pathfinder Commission, and available on the Pathfinder Initiative  Climate & Health Evidence bank.

The second phase of the Pathfinder Initiative is underway, and has three main areas of focus: strengthening the evidence base for action on climate and health; supporting the implementation and evaluation of climate mitigation policies and actions that aim to promote health; and strengthening capacity of partners and key actors delivering high-ambition decarbonisation activities in sub-Saharan Africa.

For further information, visit the Pathfinder Initiative website.

As part of the Pathfinder Initiative’s work on capacity strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa, project teams from the African Institute for Development Policy, the African Population and Health Research Center and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine are conducting a series of workshops with researchers, policy makers and key actors to identify needs, barriers and opportunities for accelerating action on climate and health at local, national and regional levels.

The project will help to strengthen research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, and support the delivery of high-ambition decarbonisation initiatives through co-designed workshops, knowledge sharing, and the development of communities of practice.

The Pathfinder Initiative is funded by the Wellcome Trust and led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Partner organisations include the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), C40 Cities, CDP, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Hot or Cool Institute.

This work package focusing on capacity strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa is led by project teams at AFIDEP, APHRC and LSHTM.