Descrição

HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2026-02-CH-01-two-stage

Expected Impact

Projects funded under this topic should contribute towards the reduction of the burden of disease in SSA and thus contribute to achieving SDG 3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages and SDG 13, ‘Climate Action’ through increased international cooperation among researchers and funders, catalyse research synergies, and leverage resources and investment.

Proposals are expected to include the effective in-kind and/or financial contribution of contributing partners, in order to produce more meaningful and significant effects enhancing the impact of the related research activities.

Background

Research shows that 3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate change. Climate change is expected to cause worldwide approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress between 2030 and 2050^[1].

Despite its low contribution to the drivers of climate change, Africa will bear high consequences of the changing climate, indicated by rising climate-related health emergencies accounting for more than half of public health events recorded in the region over the past two decades^[2]: Out of the 2100+ public health events recorded in the African region between 2001 and 2021, 56% were climate-related. The region is witnessing an increase in climate-linked emergencies, with 25% more climate-related events recorded between 2011 and 2021 compared with the previous decade. More particularly, water-borne diseases accounted for 40% of the climate-related health emergencies over the past two decades ^[3]. Vector-borne diseases, notably yellow fever, accounted for 28% of the climate-related health emergencies, while zoonotic diseases, specifically Congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever, being the third most prevalent ^[4]. Where appropriate, a “One Health” approach is recommended to address climate-related public health events. The approach is based on the premise that human, animal and ecosystem health is interconnected and requires a coordinated approach to tackle and resolve the challenges.

In addition, vulnerable populations in Africa, particularly the low-income households, women, children, and rural communities, are disproportionately affected by climate change because they face higher exposure to extreme weather, depend heavily on climate-sensitive agriculture productivity, and have limited resources and institutional capacity to adapt, which deepens poverty, food insecurity, health risks, and displacement.

Changing climate conditions (such as temperature, humidity and precipitation levels) have an impact on the geographical and seasonal distribution of infectious diseases, with weather affecting the timing and intensity of disease outbreaks. This results in particular disease-carrying vectors becoming of relevance for Europe. In addition to climatic factors, regional disease risks are also affected by factors such as land use, vector control, human behaviour, global trade and travel, and public health capacities^[5].

Climate change is also increasing Europe’s risk to water-borne diseases by degrading water quality through flooding, heatwaves, and droughts, thereby heightening risks of gastrointestinal infections and other health issues, especially when sanitation and infrastructure are inadequate ^[6].

With this, the European Commission’s Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda on Health and Climate Change^[7] – launched in mid‑2025 – sets out a comprehensive R&I roadmap with cross‑cutting priorities including climate‑driven health inequalities, inter‑sectoral data systems, climate adaptation in healthcare systems, and the development of transdisciplinary, global knowledge partnerships (HERA, EC DG RTD, SRIA 2025). This prioritisation underscores the alignment between the EC’s SRIA and Global Health EDCTP3 objectives, emphasising the need for integrated, equitable, and internationally cooperative research efforts addressing climate-change driven infectious diseases.

Together, these frameworks and epidemiologic trends demonstrate the urgent need for Global Health EDCTP3 to fund research on climate-sensitive water- and vector-borne diseases – with a potential dual focus on sub‑Saharan Africa (SSA), where the burden is high and rising, and Europe, where endemic risk is rapidly emerging. In this effort, vulnerable populations in SSA should not be left behind.

Investments in surveillance, climate-adaptive early warning systems, diagnostic and genomic capacity, vector control innovations, One Health approaches, and health system resilience are essential. Aligning with Africa CDC/AU and EC SRIA targets, Global Health EDCTP3 can catalyse cross‑continental innovation, strengthen global health security, and mitigate an escalating threat to relevant vulnerable populations.

[1] WHO | Climate Change

[2] WHO | Africa faces rising climate-linked health emergencies

[3] Idem

[4] idem

[5] Vector-borne diseases | Health effects | European Climate and Health Observatory Climate-ADAPT

[6] Water-borne disease | Health effects | European Climate and Health Observatory Climate-ADAPT

[7] Strategic research and innovation agenda on health and climate change – Publications Office of the EU

[8] Global Health EDCTP3 Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda