Presenter: Dr. Kristin Braa, Professor and Director of the HISP Centre at University of Oslo

Professor Kristin Braa is the Director of the HISP Centre at the University of Oslo. DHIS2 is developed as a free and open-source global public good. The platform is  the primary tool for health data collection and analysis in 75 countries. It covers 3.2 billion people and is recognized as a global public good by the World Health Organization. Major global health actors, such as PEPFAR, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the Red Cross, and Population Services International (PSI) use the platform in more than 130 countries.

The potential effects of climate change and related ecosystem disruptions are dramatic and wide-ranging, touching every part of life on our planet including human health. In many health programs – such as infectious disease surveillance, maternal and child health, and nutrition and food security – health outcomes can be directly and indirectly impacted by environmental factors, including local climate variation and extreme weather events like floods and heat waves that are linked to global climate change. Urgent action is needed to protect at-risk communities and prevent negative health effects, particularly among populations most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and variation on population health. Planning and prioritizing that action requires accurate and actionable data on the specific correlations between climate and environmental factors and health outcomes.

To help strengthen climate resilience, DHIS2 for Climate & Health leverages the widespread adoption of DHIS2 as a Health Management Information System – currently used by 75+ low- and middle-income countries at national scale – and enhances them through the integration of climate, weather, environmental, and earth observation data; the development of flexible and user-friendly predictive modeling and forecasting tools; and the design of climate services and dynamic dashboards to support effective and timely analysis and decision making in response to climate-sensitive health risks. In recognition of its potential to support climate-resilient health systems at national scale, DHIS2 has been officially designated a Global Good for Climate and Health.

Since early 2024, 10 countries have partnered with local groups in the HISP network on co-designing and implementing DHIS2 Climate & Health interventions and innovations, helping inform our global work on this initiative and laying the groundwork to bring these tools to routine operational use. As these tools have matured, additional countries have begun adopting them for national use.

Virtual
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