Climate-Health Action through Research, Mobilization, and Engagement of Stakeholders in Kenya (CHARMES- Kenya)

Climate change is accelerating health risks across Kenya, with the greatest impacts felt in arid regions, informal settlements, and rural communities. Despite national commitments through recently enacted climate policies, limited Kenya-specific evidence impedes effective adaptation planning and implementation. CHARMES-Kenya project will leverage the government-owned platform, a trusted 20-year longitudinal health surveillance system covering diverse ecological zones, together with public, community, and policy engagements, and a transdisciplinary team of researchers, to close these evidence gaps and catalyze climate policy implementation at national and county level. First, we will generate community-informed evidence quantifying climate impacts on respiratory, diarrheal, and febrile illnesses, adolescent mental health, and healthcare access, using longitudinal health, demographic, and climate data. Second, we will co-develop policy tools with decision-makers, including a Health Impact-based Early Warning System (HIbEWS), site-specific vulnerability assessments, and economic modeling frameworks to support county and national health adaptation planning. Third, we will promote evidence-to-policy translation through technical working groups with the Ministry of Health, policy briefs aligned to national review timelines, county health leadership workshops, and feedback forums via community advisory boards. This project will drive evidence-based decision-making, strengthen health system resilience, and build a scalable model for climate-health policy action across Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa.