The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome Commit US1.5 million to advance Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Digital Public Goods (DPGs) for Climate- and Health-informed Data Systems  

NAIROBI | December 2, 2024 ― At the Global Digital Health Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, this week, PATH is announcing it will help strengthen the World Health Organization’s (WHO) and World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Joint Programme for Climate & Health. With $1.5 million in grant funding from The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome, PATH, through its Digital Square initiative, will help to advance Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Digital Public Goods (DPGs) for Climate- and Health-informed Data Systems while continuing to serve as a neutral convener of innovative digital health initiatives. This support includes digital global goods that facilitate the development and use of interoperable and accessible digital tools that bring data from different sectors together—such as extreme weather, climate change, disease prevalence data, and more—to better protect those most vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change.

“Climate change poses increasing threats to the health of vulnerable populations globally. Health stakeholders today need to rapidly understand and assess climate risks,” said Manisha Bhinge, Vice President of Health at The Rockefeller Foundation. “Data can help bridge between this emerging science and action. Working with PATH, we look forward to increasing the visibility, access, and adoption of digital tools that translate climate and weather data into insights that can save lives and livelihoods.”

“We’re excited to partner with PATH in advancing digital public infrastructure for climate and health. By integrating climate and health data, we can unlock innovative solutions to climate change—one of the world’s most urgent challenges. This work will empower countries to take swift, data-driven action on climate-related health risks and strengthen international cooperation, paving the way for a more climate-resilient future,” said Tariq Khokhar, Head of Data for Science and Health at Wellcome. 

Addressing climate change through health data integration & Digital Public Infrastructure

Climate change threatens global health, especially in communities already affected by health and economic disparities. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) everywhere must incorporate climate and weather data to safeguard human well-being. While current meteorological data is often standardized, it is inconsistently accessed by health care professionals and policymakers or used to inform health decision-making. By combining climate and health data, leaders can better predict and respond to disease patterns, outbreaks, and other health system priorities impacted by extreme weather.

Drawing on more than 20 years of digital health learnings, PATH will adapt the Global Goods Guidebook, a resource for scaling open-source digital health tools for climate- and health-informed data services. This guide will help policymakers and procurement officials make informed decisions, ultimately leading to more effective and scalable health interventions to reduce the health and economic impacts of extreme weather. The use-case-based compendium will standardize data architecture, fostering adaptable and scalable solutions.

Collaboration for enhanced climate and health integration

WHO and WMO are taking steps to strengthen, harmonize, and leverage technical resources and opportunities to empower and support Member States and partners to drive innovative approaches, sustained mechanisms, and engagement opportunities for delivering demand-driven climate science and services for improved health outcomes.

The collaboration with PATH reinforces the ongoing efforts of Wellcome and The Rockefeller Foundation to expand the use of climate services for health to inform contextualized and localized health system decision-making. The capacity-building efforts at the WHO-WMO Joint Programme for Climate and Health, in partnership with coordinated donor support, will enhance the ability of national meteorological agencies and health ministries to effectively respond to climate-related health challenges.

“Through this innovative new collaboration, PATH’s technical expertise will help advance the use of standardized data through digital public infrastructure and advocacy for the use of a climate- and health-informed maturity model and digital public goods for health,” said Heidi Good, DPI for Climate and Health Project Lead. “With this new collaboration, PATH seeks to transform global health resilience in the face of climate change.”

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