The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs has been awarded a one-year grant by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) – the German Agency for International Cooperation – to help develop social and behavior change (SBC) strategy, messages, and other communication tools to guide health workers and households to manage the health effects of climate change in Togo.
Togo is experiencing a changing climate throughout the country, leading to increased incidence of flooding, violent winds, drought, and brush fires. The Togolese government has worked with partners to manage floods, improve citizens’ access to health services, and augment response mechanisms to emergencies, but this is the first time there will be a focus on addressing key climate-sensitive health concerns.
With government and local partners, CCP will focus specifically on managing the impact of weather and climate change on maternal, newborn, and child health, including malaria and diarrheal diseases, in the northernmost provinces of the country.
Temperature and rainfall trends in the West African nation of Togo will lead to shifts in the distribution, timing, and severity of climate-sensitive diseases like malaria, research has shown. In addition, heat discomfort and stress increase the risk of heat-related illness and death in vulnerable populations, including children and pregnant women.
While malaria and diarrheal diseases are already among the leading causes of death in Togo, according to the World Health Organization, climate change stands to increase their prevalence.
“The scientific evidence is clear: climate change is a threat not only to the health of the planet but to the health and wellbeing of people and their communities,” says CCP’s Shannon McAfee, who is leading the work in Togo.
“Our work will look at the intersection of climate change, social determinants of health, and the accessibility and use of health services. We not only want to help prepare communities in Togo for what is coming but to build resiliency against the effects of climate change on health.”
To lay the groundwork for the Climate Impact on MHCH, Malaria and Diarrheal Disease in Togo project, CCP is conducting a rapid desk review and supporting in-depth local research – led by the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL/University of Lomé, Togo) – to better understand how climate-related changes influence health decisions, particularly around malaria, diarrheal disease, and maternal and child health in three regions of Togo (Savanes, Kara, and Centrale).
At the same time, CCP is establishing a national Technical Working Group in Climate and Health, with a regional hub in Kara, to strengthen collaboration, reinforce SBC capacity, and ensure local voices shape the process every step of the way.
“Co-creation ensures that our strategies reflect the realities and resilience of the communities we serve,” says Hilaire Tokplo, senior SBC Advisor and Togo Country Manager for the project. “By working together with local partners, we’re building solutions that are not only relevant, but sustainable.”
At the heart of the initiative is a co-created SBC Climate and Health Strategy and Toolkit. Informed by research and grounded in community realities, the strategy will outline priority behaviors and pathways for building resilience at household and community levels. The toolkit will include sample messages, communication activities, and a theory of change – providing practical, evidence-based guidance for frontline health workers, local leaders, and development partners. From promoting adaptive household practices to strengthening health service use during climate shocks, these tools will support national and regional actors to design and implement more responsive, climate-smart health interventions.
“Though existing research has quantified climate changes in Togo, there is a lack of evidence-based resources to inform how to holistically increase climate resilience and slow negative health impacts among priority populations in the country,” says CCP’s Danielle Naugle, a senior researcher. “This is our goal.”
