TY - JOUR
T1 - Warning system for extreme weather events, awareness technology for healthcare, equitable delivery, and resilience (WEATHER) project
T2 - a mixed methods research study protocol
AU - Lynch, Mary
AU - Harris, Fiona
AU - Ierna, Michelle
AU - Mahomed, Ozayr
AU - Henriquez-Mui, Fiona
AU - Gebreslasie, Michael
AU - Ndzi, David
AU - Viriri, Serestina
AU - Shakir, Muhammad Zeeshan
AU - Dickinson, Natalie
AU - Miller, Caroline
AU - Hursthouse, Andrew
AU - Nadesan-Reddy, Nisha
AU - Nkwanyana, Fikile
AU - Spencer, Llinos Haf
AU - Naidoo, Saloshni
PY - 2025/8/21
Y1 - 2025/8/21
N2 - This study aims to develop, implement, and evaluate an Early Warning System (EWS) to alert communities and government agencies in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about extreme weather events (EWEs) and related disease outbreaks. The project focuses on eThekwini and Ugu municipalities, using a participatory, co-creation approach with communities and health providers. A systematic review will be undertaken to understand the impact of climate change on disease outbreaks and design an EWS that integrates data from rural and urban healthcare and environmental contexts. It will assess disease burden at primary healthcare clinics, examine health needs and community experiences during EWEs, and evaluate health system resilience. The project will also evaluate the design, development, and performance of the EWS intervention, including its implementation costs. Ethical approval will be sought, and informed consent obtained from participants. Based on the findings, recommendations will be made to the Department of Health to enhance early warning systems and health system resilience in response to EWEs and disease outbreaks.
AB - This study aims to develop, implement, and evaluate an Early Warning System (EWS) to alert communities and government agencies in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about extreme weather events (EWEs) and related disease outbreaks. The project focuses on eThekwini and Ugu municipalities, using a participatory, co-creation approach with communities and health providers. A systematic review will be undertaken to understand the impact of climate change on disease outbreaks and design an EWS that integrates data from rural and urban healthcare and environmental contexts. It will assess disease burden at primary healthcare clinics, examine health needs and community experiences during EWEs, and evaluate health system resilience. The project will also evaluate the design, development, and performance of the EWS intervention, including its implementation costs. Ethical approval will be sought, and informed consent obtained from participants. Based on the findings, recommendations will be made to the Department of Health to enhance early warning systems and health system resilience in response to EWEs and disease outbreaks.
KW - early warning system
KW - extreme weather events
KW - South Africa
KW - floods
KW - health system resilience
KW - community health
U2 - 10.3390/cli13080170
DO - 10.3390/cli13080170
M3 - Article
SN - 2225-1154
VL - 13
JO - Climate
JF - Climate
IS - 8
M1 - 170
ER -
