The HIGH Horizons project addresses key knowledge gaps around the quantification and monitoring of direct and indirect impacts of heat exposure on maternal, newborn and child health. Pregnant women, infants and health workers serve as sentinel populations for tracking climate change impacts, adaptations and co-benefits. Protecting these vulnerable populations is critical and ensures a healthy future for the next generations.

With heat adaptation interventions such as modifications to health facilities (e.g. passive cooling systems, reflective white paint on the roofs,…) and effective messaging through smartphones to accompany heat stress notifications to pregnant and postpartum women and mothers of infants, the burden of adverse health outcomes may be reduced as depicted in the below graph where the area under the curve represents the number of potential adverse health outcomes on pregnant women, infants and health workers.

The HIGH Horizons project includes 11 partners across 10 countries in Europe and Africa and encompasses activities in both the European Union (EU) and sub-Saharan Africa. Jointly the HIGH Horizons partners will quantify and monitor direct and indirect health impacts of extreme heat; test a personalised Early Warning System (EWS); and implement integrated adaptation-mitigation actions in health facilities.