About us
Urban SHADE
(Strengthening Health Access and Delivery for Extreme weather)
Launched in February 2024, Urban SHADE is a three-year programme. Researchers, health service providers, government agencies and communities in urban informal settlements will work together to improve the resilience and responsiveness of health services during and after extreme weather events. We are working in six cities in India, Sierra Leone and Kenya.
In these countries, climate change adaptation is a priority. The poorest and most marginalised in urban areas are experiencing poor health outcomes due to extreme weather events.
Extreme weather
The urban poor often live in informal settlements that experience the worst effects of extreme weather events. They live in hillsides that experience landslides after heavy rain, or coastal and riverside locations that flood. In the plains, they often live in houses or buildings which increase indoor temperature during summers. They are exposed to heat waves due to the ‘urban heat island effect’, their compulsions to work outdoors in the heat, and their lack of access to cooling devices. People who are marginalised because of their income, gender, age, caste, disability and ethnicity are worse off.
Impact on health
Low-income urban residents living in informal settlements already feel the impact of extreme weather events on their health and wellbeing. The built environment of their settlements, poor-quality housing, lack of piped water, lack of drainage systems and crucially lack of emergency care have additional impact on health. In these communities, health services are provided by a complex system of formal and informal providers. However, access to formal quality healthcare is limited for them as it is sometimes non-existent, inaccessible or unaffordable. This is particularly true during extreme weather events.
How we work
We work with communities, community-based organisations, health service providers and public bodies in India, Kenya and Sierra Leone. In each location, our researchers will assess the health and social vulnerabilities and the capacity of local health services. We will explore how recent extreme weather events affected health service responsiveness.
Together we will co-produce new interventions using participatory research to strengthen health systems and establish equitable ways of working in partnership in each location. These interventions will be monitored and evaluated for feasibility and cost. If effective they will be promoted to local, national and international policymakers to encourage widespread use.