Climate justice: Building resilience

At Integrate Health, we are not just observers of the climate change crisis; we are active participants in the solution. We rigorously measure, reduce, and mitigate our carbon footprint, ensuring that as we strive for health equity, we are also safeguarding our planet.  Additionally, we champion the vital role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in addressing the health repercussions of climate change. As the “first line of defense,” CHWs are crucial in responding to immediate threats like extreme weather and disease outbreaks, while also bolstering community resilience against long-term climate impacts.

Landscape with trees

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Health centers renovated for climate resilience
Renovated with improved water systems and solar panels installed
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Community Health Workers trained on climate resilience practices
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Years tracking and measuring organizational carbon footprint

Impact of climate change on women and children

Women and children are disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters, facing heightened vulnerabilities and barriers to healthcare access in their communities. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation exacerbate existing health inequalities, leading to increased risks of maternal illness, preterm birth, and childhood malnutrition. 

In west Africa, five types of extreme weather events—heatwaves, droughts, flooding, storms, and wildfires—pose significant risks to maternal and perinatal health. These conditions are linked to an increase in gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, preterm births, low birth weights, and stillbirths.

In Togo and Guinea, rising temperatures coupled with increased rainfall during the humid season escalate the risks of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and chikungunya, alongside water-borne and other infectious diseases. Climate change intensifies these threats, with severe implications for maternal and child health.

Climate change significantly impacts food security by affecting availability, quality, and diversity of food sources. Concurrently, rising sea levels contribute to higher salinity in drinking water sources. This exacerbates health risks, particularly for pregnant women, who face an increased risk of developing conditions like preeclampsia.

Frontline responders

Integrate Health-supported CHWs serve as frontline responders to climate change threats, leveraging their deep-rooted presence in rural communities to provide timely assistance during environmental crises, epidemics or pandemics. They play a crucial role in disaster preparedness and response, offering vital support and key information to communities and ensuring continuity of essential health services amidst climate-related disruptions.

Building community resilience

Integrate Health-supported CHWs are instrumental in building community resilience to climate change, empowering local populations with knowledge and resources to adapt to environmental challenges. Through community-based interventions and education initiatives, they are trained to equip individuals with the skills needed to mitigate health risks, promote sustainable practices, and foster resilience in the face of evolving climate conditions.

Health center readiness

When we renovate health centers, we equip them with improved water systems and solar panels to ensure resilience to climate impact. Renovating for readiness ensures continuity of care during extreme weather events, providing communities with reliable and sustainable healthcare services

Climate accountability

Working in climate-risk areas such as rural Togo or Guinea, Integrate Health has a responsibility to not contribute or exacerbate climate change. This is why we pledged to measure, reduce, and mitigate our carbon footprint setting internal targets and assembling a green team.

Climate change is not gender neutral

Climate change deepens gender disparities, hitting women and girls hardest. In environments like Togo and Guinea, where healthcare access is already strained, the heightened frequency of extreme weather disrupts essential services and disproportionately jeopardizes maternal and child health.