INDEPTH’s five-day workshop on assessing the impact of climate change on migration and mortality in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) using health and demographic surveillance (HDSS) data, ended in Accra, Ghana on May 18^th, with participants making substantial progress in analysing available data so as to determine the linkages between health and climate change.

About 30 researchers from INDEPTH member HDSSs in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, India and Bangladesh participated in the workshop which was conducted with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, USA. 

The workshop was held within the framework of INDEPTH’s research work in climate change and health which is being championed by the Network’s Working Group on Climate Change, Migration and Mortality comprising Nouna, Nanoro and Sapone HDSSs (Burkina Faso), Vadu HDSS (India), AMK and Matlab HDSSs (Bangladesh), Rakai HDSS (Uganda), Rufiji, Magu and Ifakara HDSSs (Tanzania), Kisumu and Nairobi HDSSs (Kenya) and Navrongo, Dodowa and Kintampo HDSSs (Ghana). 

The key objective of the workshop: to produce a supplement for the international open-access online journal – Global Health Action was largely met and there are firm indications that useful and scientifically revealing papers will be produced at centre-specific as well as well as cross-site level.

INDEPTH is confident that the supplement will provide the much needed information to guide national, regional and international policy makers in addressing the effects of climate change and also fill the knowledge gap in the effects of climate change and its consequences on mortality and migration among rural populations.

The work of the CLIMIMO Working Group is most critical at this time when global dialogue suggests that the greatest threat to sustainable economic growth in LMICs generally and more particularly Africa, is the effect of climate change followed by unemployment and food security in that order.

Policy perspectives were presented in an opening statement delivered on behalf of Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.  

Data that were made available for the analysis workshop were gathered from the participating INDEPTH Network member centres with support from UNESCO Ghana.