- $1.4M collaboration supports strengthening governance, evidence generation, and investment readiness of the two countries’ national health systems
- Builds upon Senegal’s and Uganda’s efforts to advance climate and health agendas in Africa
NAIROBI | October 22, 2025 ― During the Pan-African Conference on Environment, Climate Change, and Health in Kenya, The Rockefeller Foundation and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) announced a new $1.4 million collaboration to advance solutions that protect Senegalese and Ugandan communities from the health impacts of climate change.
The joint investment, which is being facilitated through The Rockefeller Foundation’s public charity, RF Catalytic Capital, Inc. (RFCC), will focus on strengthening governance, evidence generation, and investment readiness of the two countries’ national health systems – while boosting their capacity to access domestic and international finance.
In Senegal, $700,000 will be invested to the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC). In collaboration with the Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE), this effort will support the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene build institutional and technical capacity for climate-health governance, identify adaptation priorities, and develop fundable investment cases aligned with national climate and health goals.
“Our ambition is clear – to make climate resilience a structural component of our health system,” said Dr. Codou Badiane Mané, Climate and Health Focal Person, Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Senegal. “This requires concrete mitigation measures, stronger integration of climate data, and strategic planning to protect the health of our populations. This project will help strengthen planning and coordination across sectors and stakeholders to unlock the financing and partnerships needed to achieve this vision.”
In Uganda, $700,000 will support the Climate Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the Makerere School of Public Health. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, this effort will strengthen coordination and develop an investment case for implementing the country’s Health National Adaptation Plan (H-NAP 2025–2030).
“This project comes at a critical time as Uganda begins implementing its Health National Adaptation Plan,” said Dr. Didacus Namanya, Climate and Health Focal Person, Ministry of Health, Uganda. “It will help strengthen and build resilience in the national health system against climate change adversities, ensuring sustained health access and security for vulnerable communities. These efforts are essential to advancing SDG 3, the Uganda National Development Plan IV, and the Health Sector Strategic Plan 2025-2030 aspirations of healthy lives and well-being for all.”
Building upon both countries’ leadership in advancing climate and health agendas in Africa, this new collaboration is part of a broader effort by The Rockefeller Foundation and IDRC to support climate-health coordination, financing, research, and action across the continent – ensuring that health systems can anticipate, prepare for, and respond to the health challenges posed by a warming planet to vulnerable communities.
“Across Africa, people like those in Senegal and Uganda are on the frontlines of the climate crisis – facing rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and growing threats from vector-borne diseases,” said Manisha Bhinge, Vice President of the Health Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation. “Through this partnership, we are supporting both countries access and deploy the financing needed to protect communities, strengthen health systems, and build resilience against heat and other climate-related health risks.”
“With the growing evidence about the toll exerted by climate change on population health, and associated costs for governments and vulnerable populations, health authorities remain woefully unequipped to effectively utilize climate financing to build resilient health systems,” said Dr Montasser Kamal, Director, Global Health, IDRC. “This project is so timely because it will help accelerate the capacity of health systems’ decision makers to synthesize and utilize evidence to access climate finance in their respective countries, through building bridges between the now far-apart health and climate finance sectors.”
In addition, this initiative contributes directly to the COP26 Health Programme commitments – where more than 80 countries[1] pledged to build climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems – and to the COP28 Ministerial Declaration on Climate and Health, endorsed by 143 countries to accelerate financing for climate and health solutions.[2] It also operationalizes the Guiding Principles for Financing Climate and Health Solutions[3], developed by global partners under the COP28 Presidency that called for a greater share of financing to support climate and health solutions.
About The Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance, including engaging through our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.
[1] https://www.who.int/initiatives/alliance-for-transformative-action-on-climate-and-health/cop26-health-programme
[2] https://www.cop28.com/en/cop28-uae-declaration-on-climate-and-health
[3] https://www.cop28.com/en/guiding-principles
About the International Development Research Centre
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) was created in 1970 with a mandate to champion and facilitate research on the challenges facing the world’s developing regions. Our work is focused on enabling and applying scientific, technical, and other forms of knowledge for the advancement of developing countries. Since its creation, IDRC has identified and responded to critical development challenges, working to help researchers in developing regions find solutions to the most pressing problems facing their communities and countries. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at https://idrc-crdi.ca/en/subscribe-newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/idrc
Media Contacts
Umuliza Njiru
The Rockefeller Foundation
Samuel Oji Oti
International Development Research Centre
