Health / Climate Services for Health

Climate Services for Health

Current Initiative

Overview

The global health sector — and society more broadly — is not prepared for the deluge of health crises caused by climate change. To protect lives and livelihoods, meteorological and health agencies must work hand-in-hand to put climate data into the hands of those responsible for protecting and improving our health. To do this, The Rockefeller Foundation is working with global, regional, national, and local partners to make sure that validated climate and weather data are accessible and tailored to the needs of health stakeholders, keeping people healthy and saving lives in the face of extreme weather events.   

Fighting Extreme Heat with Data and Collaboration

In Senegal and India, rising temperatures are putting communities at risk. This video shows how partnerships between health and meteorology experts are creating timely, targeted information that helps protect people from extreme heat — and the need to replicate these processes across the globe.

Why It Matters

Climate services are essential for enabling the health sector to effectively respond to extreme weather events.
  •  
    0%%

    of national health authorities

    currently use climate and meteorological data in their health planning, far short of the 75% of meteorological agencies that report providing this information

  •  
    ~0%%

    of affected countries

    provide heat warnings during extreme heat events, despite extreme heat impacting communities in most countries all over the world

  •  
    0%%

    of countries reported

    having health early warning systems for heat-related illness, leaving the majority of countries unprepared for the negative effects of extreme heat

Featured Content

Browse reports, publications, and announcements supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and partner organizations.

  • The Economic Case for Climate Services for Health
    New research by the World Resources Institute, commissioned by The Rockefeller Foundation, finds that every $1 invested by low- and middle-income countries in climate services for health can yield $4 to $68 in economic benefits. The research draws on a review of 46 World Bank-financed projects across 40 low- and middle-income countries and a cost-benefit analysis of projected health impacts from malaria, dengue, diarrhea, cholera, and heat-related illness.
  • Accelerating a transformation in climate science and services for health
    The World Meteorological Organization, World Health Organization, The World Meteorological Organization, World Health Organization, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome have joined forces to close this gap through a global initiative to expand climate services for health. The project will deliver digital tools, training, early warning systems, and in-country pilots to help health systems anticipate and respond to climate threats — starting with a focus on extreme heat and climate-sensitive diseases.
  • 2023 State of Climate Services for Health
    As climate change accelerates, it poses growing risks to human health — through extreme heat, poor air quality, disease outbreaks, and threats to food and water security. The WMO’s State of Climate Services report highlights how climate data and tools — like early warning systems, pollen tracking, and satellite disease monitoring — can support health systems and protect the most vulnerable.

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