Heat
Understanding the health impacts of extreme heat in Ghana and Rwanda
Heat
Understanding the health impacts of extreme 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.
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 outdoor workers has become an urgent occupational-health concern in sub-Saharan Africa where livelihoods in markets and construction sites depend on outdoor labour.
In Ghana and Rwanda, outdoor workers are often low-income, low-skilled workers with limited formal education. Many workers, as well as the systems that support them, have limited awareness of how climate change and extreme heat intersect with occupational safety.
Markets
Accra, Ghana
Market traders account for about 45.6% of Accra’s informal economy. Despite their contribution to society, markets are often poorly constructed, exposing traders and patrons to extreme heat stress, congestion and poor water and sanitation.
Construction Sites
Kigali, Rwanda
Rapid urbanisation in Kigali has exposed construction workers to environmental hazards including heat stress. Conducting physically demanding labour outdoors makes workers vulnerable to dehydration, heat exhaustion, fatigue, and in severe cases, heatstroke.