American University of Beirut

Source: https://www.aub.edu.lb/fhs/news/Pages/MARCH-Mena-HUB-Action-Research-Climate-Change-Health.aspx Parent: https://www.aub.edu.lb/fhs/center-for-research-on-population-and-health/Pages/default.aspx

MARCH MENA HUB For Action Research on Climate Change and Health

Thursday, November 21, 2024

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We are excited to announce the launch of the MENA Hub for Action Research on Climate Change and Health (MARCH), a new initiative that officially commenced on October 1, 2024. This project is generously funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The MENA Hub is part of a global network of five regional hubs located in the Global South, including those in Latin America and the Caribbean, West and Central Africa, East and Southern Africa, and Asia.

MARCH's vision focuses on supporting climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable primary health care and health systems, particularly those vulnerable to climate stressors and crises. MARCH will work towards generating and promoting the uptake of gender- and equity-sensitive evidence to strengthen the resilience, preparedness, response, and recovery of health systems challenged by climate change and crises. This work will be done in close collaboration with affected communities, grassroots organizations, and state actors.

This hub is a collaborative effort between the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) Department of Environmental Health, Knowledge to Policy (K2P) Center, and Center for Research on Population and Health (CRPH), and the AUB Nature Conservation Center (AUB-NCC). The hub will engage in regional consultations and prioritize research themes on climate change and health. It will initiate research projects through cycles of calls for proposals and grant mechanisms to identify regional priorities. The hub will also work to empower sub-grantees' skills through capacity building and knowledge sharing initiatives, while promoting gender equality and inclusion, and facilitating impactful knowledge translation and policy making.

In these challenging times, and amidst the evolving devastating situation, the significance of this hub is of the utmost importance. It will contribute to safeguarding human health and ecological vitality in the Region.

We look forward to making a meaningful impact across the Region.