CH. 05
2024 Impact Report/ 2024 Impact Report/

Delivering Results:
Resilient Health

Report
Published Date June 09, 2025

Health Overview

Climate change is now a direct and growing threat to human health. Historic rainfall is driving malaria, cholera, and dengue outbreaks. Extreme heat is killing hundreds of thousands, threatening crops, and pushing people further into poverty. Air pollution is increasing the risk of respiratory disease, cancer, and dementia.

This chapter explores how The Rockefeller Foundation is responding by bringing together partners together. To bridge the divide between climate and health action, the Foundation is taking a “big tent” approach: convening partners, surfacing shared priorities, and helping build bridges between fields.

In 2024, 4,200 health workers were trained or equipped across Africa and Asia, 12.2 million people received improved health information, and 145,000 people were vaccinated, screened, or treated across ten countries. Learn about award-winning pathogen detection research in Thailand and a major milestone at COP, where health was formally institutionalized in the agenda.

 

Read the full chapter to learn how the Foundation and its partners are working to meet the health challenges of a warming world.

 

Transformational Numbers

 

Health Results

Climate change poses the public health threat of our time and demands a holistic transformation across systems of health, energy, education, and food. We’re proud to work with our partners to achieve these results because these issues are urgent and need solutions.

download the resilient health chapter
  • 1,400Health workers

    surveyed across 716 health facilities in Uganda to develop the country’s Health Adaptation Plan

  • 235Partner organizations

    across 85 countries engaged in the International Pathogen Surveillance Network

  • $1Million

    in support of C40 Cities and Resilient Cities Network to implement action plan

Help us spread the word

Highlight the text below to share this story and help spotlight the amazing work of visionary grantees driving real change. Your voice helps their impact go even further.

grantee spotlight story
Stories from the field: Honduras

Data helps fight malaria in far-flung communities.

In remote Honduras, it was data that provided a simple solution to combating a malaria outbreak. In Gracias a Dios, which accounts for 95% of the country’s malaria cases, locals joined forces with The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to map out where the disease was occurring.

The data showed that the homes with repeated cases were near swampy areas of still water — perfect for mosquito breeding. After spending less than $100 on shovels and machetes, locals were able to drain the area.

The result. Only one or two malaria cases a year.

read the grantee impact story

Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance Network (MBDS) conducting an exercise in Laos in 2019 for a joint investigation of a disease outbreak. (Photo Courtesy of MBDS)

grantee spotlight story
Stories from the field: Thailand

Award-winning research identifies source of pathogens.

As a girl, Dr. Kwanrawee Joy Sirikanchana didn’t like “dirty things.” She was shy and didn’t consider herself adventurous. That has changed. Now the award-winning scientist is leading groundbreaking wastewater research aimed at detecting diseases early and at the source by using intestinal markers to determine whether animals or humans are contributing pathogens and, if so, which kind.

The Thai government is especially excited about implementing the research Sirikanchana directs at Bangkok’s Chulabhorn Research Institute, a biomedical and chemistry research institute and Rockefeller Foundation partner since 2017. WHO has called antimicrobial resistance one of the world’s top public health threats, with the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals, and plants creating antimicrobial resistance that contributes to almost five million deaths annually.

Sirikanchana, a mother of two, says women often have less time to develop their careers because of family responsibilities. “But women bring particular experiences and viewpoints to research,” she says. “They should be given full support to get the best outcomes.”

read the grantee impact story

Health — Areas of Focus

On Reflection

What We Are Learning From Our Health Work

Learn first, join second, build last.

To bridge the divide between climate and health action, the Foundation is working to take a “big tent” approach that brings people together from across sectors and geographies and gives space for shared priorities to emerge.

We know from experience that sometimes the fruits of those partnerships take time to form, but that they are worth it in the long run. By focusing on cultivating dialogue and learning, we see understanding begin to grow among philanthropic funders, researchers, and policymakers on how climate, finance, and health intersect.

Dr. Kwanrawee Joy Sirikanchana collecting water samples from the Chao Phraya River (Photo Courtesy of Dr. Sirikanchana)
Dr. Kwanrawee Joy Sirikanchana collecting water samples from the Chao Phraya River. (Photo Courtesy of Dr. Sirikanchana)

Download the Resilient Health chapter or our full impact report now.

Download the Resilient Health chapter

download the full 2024 Impact Report

Jump to Other Chapters

    CH.01
    Power Results
    Reliable Power

    Abundant energy is out of reach for billions of people. Our mission is clear: to ensure everyone on the planet can access the power needed to unlock a brighter future.

    CH.02
    Food Results
    Good Food

    Too often, food in the United States and around the world contributes to poor health for both people and the planet. This needs to change.

    CH.03
    Opportunity Results
    The American Dream

    Even though the United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, for some the opportunity for a better future feels further away than ever. We are working to change that.

    CH.04
    Finance Results
    Catalytic Finance

    The world has no shortage of solutions to improve human well-being, but it lacks sufficient financing to scale them. We’re taking steps to improve that.

    CH.OV
    Overview
    2024 Impact Report

    Delivering results for people in the United States and around the world has not been easy. Across energy, food, health, finance, and economic opportunity, the Foundation uses its convening power to show that collaboration is the fastest route to impact.

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