Knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with climate-related health risks in Kenya and Ethiopia
One of the working group's main areas of research focuses on the health effects of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa. A KAP study is investigating knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with climate-related health risks in Kenya and Ethiopia. The focus is on both the general population in selected regions and relevant interestholders and medical professionals. The aim is to understand how climate change is perceived, what protective measures are already being implemented, and where there are gaps in knowledge or structural barriers. Based on this, evidence-based strategies will be developed to strengthen adaptation measures, reduce health risks, and make health systems more resilient to climate-related stresses. The results will contribute to the development of targeted interventions and promote sustainable protection concepts for particularly affected regions.
The pre-hospital medical response to major disasters from a European comparative analysis
We are looking into how pre-hospital medical teams operate during the initial phases of disasters, with a specific emphasis on environmental emergencies such as floods and storms. The research adopts a comparative European perspective, drawing on the experiences of health systems in countries including Germany, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom. Through the analysis of policies, theories, practices and scientific research, the project seeks to identify pre-hospital medical system's vulnerabilities, particularly in areas of leadership, communication and the role of human factors.
Heat exposure and health perception in the Global South
We are interested in how heat disrupts the lives of vulnerable populations in the Global South. So far, there is a clear understanding of the negative impacts of heat on the general population and some specific vulnerable groups; here, we seek to widen this knowledge.
Our research interests center on the causal dynamics between hyper-local heat exposure and health perception within the rapidly urbanizing Global South. Moving beyond traditional city-level averages, we aim to utilize high-resolution satellite imagery and downscaled climate data to map intra-city thermal gradients, thereby exposing the heterogeneous impacts of heat on health perception. A core objective of our work is to transition from associative observations (cross-sectional designs) to robust causal inference frameworks (e.g., DAGs) that can effectively disentangle the physiological drivers of heat stress from the confounding socio-environmental factors of poverty and infrastructure. Furthermore, we intend to stratify these effects by age to identify distinct vulnerability mechanisms. Ultimately, this research seeks to provide precise, data-driven evidence to guide adaptation interventions, such as green infrastructure or awareness campaigns ensuring they yield the highest returns on health equity.
Another research focus is the impact of rising temperatures on pregnant women and their unborn children, particularly in vulnerable settings. The aim is to better understand how environmental heat affects maternal and fetal physiology and to assess strategies that may reduce heat-related stress. This work combines continuous physiological monitoring with detailed assessments of individual heat exposure to gain a more integrated picture of how the body responds to extreme heat. It is guided by a gender-transformative perspective that considers not only biological responses, but also the structural inequalities that shape vulnerability and health outcomes.