Heat
Understanding the health impacts of extreme heat in Ghana and Rwanda
Heat
Understanding the health impacts of heat in Ghana and Rwanda
RESEARCH AREA
Heat & health in African cities
Our work on heat is based in Accra, Ghana and Kigali, Rwanda. Through initial consultation, school-age children and people who work outdoors were identified as two under-researched groups particularly vulnerable to increased heat and the associated impacts on inadequate water and sanitation.
SCHOOLS
School-age children
Content coming soon. This section will explore the specific health impacts of extreme heat on school-age children in Accra and Kigali.
OUTDOOR WORKERS
Working in the heat
Heat exposure among people working outdoors has become an urgent occupational health concern in sub-Saharan Africa and throughout the world.
In Ghana and Rwanda, people working outdoors, including in markets and construction sites are often low-income, low-skilled workers with limited formal education who rely on their labour for their livelihood. Many workers, as well as the systems that support them, have limited options for how they can manage the effects of excessive heat and possible impacts on occupational safety.
Markets
Accra, Ghana
Market traders account for nearly half of Accra’s informal economy. Despite their essential contribution to society, markets are often poorly constructed, exposing traders and patrons to excessive heat, overcrowding and poor water and sanitation.
Construction Sites
Kigali, Rwanda
Rapid expansion of Kigali has exposed construction workers to environmental hazards including excessive heat. Conducting physically demanding labour outdoors makes workers vulnerable to dehydration, exhaustion, fatigue, and in severe cases, heatstroke.