Inspiration
The Climate and Health Monitoring Hub stems from Sascha’s concern for the worsening conditions in the world due to climate change, especially for pregnant women. Because pregnant women are more susceptible to the dangers of exhaustion and heat stress, they need to be kept in safer conditions to ensure a healthy family as a result of the pregnancy. Through a thought-provoking process, Sascha was faced with the idea of heat and maternal health, and it stood out immediately. Sascha has seen the negative effects heat has on people when he connected with a group of students in Ghana. Though they were young, the students expressed the dehydration they faced. Sascha later realized that these children were not alone in the battle against heat, as pregnant women also often saw the effects of heat on their bodies much too late. By monitoring pregnant women, the Climate and Health Monitoring Hub hopes to stop the root cause of many stillbirths and preterm births. To determine the areas in need, the Climate and Health Monitoring Hub will generate heat maps and examine the areas most in need of help. Because Sascha strongly believes in minimizing the effects of climate change, the Climate and Health Monitoring Hub actively tries to find ways to improve conditions for people in warmer areas.
Problem Statement
The problem addressed at the Climate and Health Monitoring Hub is the increased vulnerability of pregnant women to health risks during extreme heat events. These temperature anomalies pose significant challenges to maternal health, leading to negative outcomes if not properly managed. Pregnant women are particularly susceptible to the effects of extreme temperatures due to changes in the body during pregnancy, making them more prone to heat-related illnesses and complications. Also, the impact of temperature anomalies on maternal health is compounded by factors such as lessened access to healthcare, socioeconomic disparities, and insufficient infrastructure to deal with the climate. Therefore, there is a need to develop targeted interventions and strategies to mitigate these risks to the health and well-being of pregnant women in the face of climate change.
Solutions
Our project focuses mainly on Community Outreach and Education Programs to educate expectant mothers, families, medical professionals, and local communities about the dangers of extreme heat during pregnancy. To spread awareness and provide instructional materials like pamphlets and internet tools for heatwave preparedness, we will host forums, workshops, and seminars. We will work with legislators and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to emphasize the safety of expectant mothers during heatwaves and to push for the implementation of customized heatwave response plans. Advocacy and policy initiatives are particularly crucial, and collaboration and partnerships are essential to increasing our resources and reach. To guarantee that pregnant women have access to services and information, we will collaborate with obstetricians, technology businesses, and local healthcare facilities.
Implementation and Execution
We use various methods to address maternal health concerns associated with temperature anomalies. We employ Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and climate data for spatial analysis, generating heat maps to identify high-risk areas. We develop wearable sensors for monitoring of maternal health parameters, supported by data transmission and machine learning algorithms. Our research includes data and qualitative analysis to understand health outcomes and community dynamics. We integrate omics technologies for health monitoring, while our climate modeling predicts future scenarios. Interdisciplinary collaboration and data integration support our holistic approaches, and we share our research findings through publications and presentations for wider awareness.
Urgency
The Climate and Health Monitoring Hub understands the urgency in dealing with any problem related to climate change. Because temperatures won’t stop rising, there is a need to focus on saving the lives of the newborns while helping mothers deal with the stress of heat. 2023 was the hottest year since people started to keep track in the mid-nineteenth century, and almost all of the last ten years have broken temperature records. ¼ of people have faced dangerous levels of extreme heat. If the heat is dangerous for people who aren’t pregnant, pregnant women, therefore, are suffering majorly. The heat is creating an unhealthy environment for the mother and the fetus, as the body usually only reaches temperatures just below 100 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the temperatures outside are not only reaching 115 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, but they are accompanied by scorching rays from the sun and a lack of air conditioning systems in less fortunate areas. Many pregnant mothers are forced to continue working labor intensive jobs in the sun every day to provide for their families, which simply adds major stress onto the body. Monitoring these women could save their pregnancy.
Goals and Objectives
At the Climate and Health Monitoring Hub, the goal is to solve the persisting challenges caused by climate change, particularly the escalating threat of extreme heat conditions, and their significant impact on the safety of expectant mothers and their offspring. By conducting in-depth research, generating heat maps to identify regions most affected by temperature anomalies, and deploying continuous monitoring through advanced wearable sensors during heat waves, we strive to assist pregnant women in the joyful yet tiring journey of pregnancy, allowing them to create a family. To reduce the negative impacts on pregnant women such as stillbirth and preterm birth due to extreme heat, we aspire to target interventions with accuracy and provision.
Measuring Impact
The Climate and Health Monitoring Hub has impacts on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Firstly, we aim to improve the health of pregnant women during extreme temperatures like heat waves, aligning with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. We address gender-specific concerns by focusing on expectant mothers' health, contributing to SDG 5: Gender Equality. Additionally, we tackle climate change challenges, specifically temperature anomalies, in line with SDG 13: Climate Action. Finally, we strive to reduce health-related inequalities by targeting interventions for pregnant women, supporting SDG 10: Reduced Inequality.