Climate-health risks and barriers: Grand Challenges Canada at Teach to Reach 11 (5 December 2024)

# Before launching a survey on climate-health barriers and risks, Grand Challenges Canada listened and learned at Teach to Reach 11 ## New Partnership to Amplify Frontline Voices Grand Challenges Canada announced a pioneering partnership at Teach to Reach 11 on December 5, 2024, launching a global initiative to capture frontline health workers’ experiences of climate change impacts. The organization will begin with a pilot survey among Teach to Reach participants, informing a major new climate and health funding program planned for 2026. “We want to take the questions to those best placed to identify the problems – the people at the frontlines of this climate crisis,” explained Joanna Sanchez, an epidemiologist representing Grand Challenges Canada. The initiative aims to identify critical barriers preventing effective responses to climate-related health challenges in low and middle-income countries. ## Frontline Testimonies of Climate Impact Health workers shared powerful accounts from their communities. In the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, Dr. Mahesh Bhatt described a “vicious cycle” where climate change is disrupting social determinants of health. “The frequency and severity of extreme weather events, flash floods, forest fires, disasters and new diseases like malaria and dengue have increased in the last two decades,” he reported, emphasizing that local communities with minimal carbon footprints are bearing the heaviest burden. Margaret Nabagala from Uganda detailed recent devastating impacts: “We lost 82 lives in Eastern Uganda due to soil erosion and flooding. Homesteads were flooded and covered with soil.” She outlined government efforts to relocate affected communities and strengthen early warning systems. ## Barriers to Effective Response Health workers identified specific obstacles hampering their efforts. Alima Usman from Nigeria described challenges during flood response: “Because the water was so much, we couldn’t get access to electric boats. We had to use local boats available in the community, which slowed rescue efforts.” Community understanding emerged as another key challenge. Usman Mohammed Tukor noted: “People don’t believe climate change affects their health. There is need for people to know how it is related to their health.” He explained how poor sanitation and drainage create mosquito breeding grounds, increasing malaria risk, particularly among pregnant women. ## Innovative Funding Approach The new Grand Challenges Canada program, launching in early 2026, will support innovative local solutions to climate-health challenges. “We’re looking for big ideas for big problems,” said Sanchez, emphasizing that funding will be open to organizations from all low and middle-income countries. The program may feature region-specific funding streams based on survey findings. ## Participatory Research Design The partnership represents a shift in how climate and health funding priorities are determined. “No one is asking us. We are here. We are seeing the challenges, we are experiencing them,” Sanchez quoted from earlier consultations, explaining the choice of a participatory approach. ## Next Steps The pilot survey with Teach to Reach participants will inform a broader global survey in 2026. Results will guide funding priorities and serve as a public resource for policymakers, researchers, and funders working on climate and health challenges. The initiative recognizes that while climate change is a global crisis, its health impacts disproportionately affect communities that have contributed least to the problem. Through this partnership, Grand Challenges Canada aims to ensure that solutions are informed by and responsive to frontline experiences.