The Global Grand Challenges (GC) network, an alliance dedicated to tackling critical global health and development challenges, has granted $9.6 million to 59 projects focused on the impacts of climate change on health, agriculture, and gender equality. These grants will empower innovators across Africa, Asia, and South America to create climate-resilient solutions targeting vulnerable communities, especially women and small-scale farmers.
The initiative, supported by GC partners like the Science for Africa Foundation, enables transformative projects to protect communities facing climate-induced issues like food insecurity and disease outbreaks. Grand Challenges Africa, an affiliate of the network, awarded grants to eight projects spanning Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, fostering sustainable and locally informed responses to climate challenges in health and agriculture.
“These investments lay the groundwork for a healthier, more resilient future by supporting game-changing innovations,” stated Evelyn Gitau, Chief Scientific Officer at the Science for Africa Foundation. In Africa, where women play a key role in agriculture, the network emphasizes women-led projects, empowering them as climate adaptation leaders. Examples include Tanzanian, Ghanaian, and Cameroonian initiatives that train women farmers in climate-smart practices to manage unpredictable weather.
The network's scope also extends to Asia and the Americas, with India leading 16 climate-focused projects, while Brazil addresses public health and gender-responsive agriculture. In the Pacific, New Caledonia and Laos are fortifying health systems through resilience-focused grants from the Pasteur Network.
Supported by funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and The Rockefeller Foundation, the GC network underscores a holistic approach that combines health equity, climate-smart agriculture, and gender empowerment. “We’re excited to collaborate on innovations that help small-scale farmers, especially women, adapt to climate change,” said Rodger Voorhies, President of Global Growth & Opportunity at the Gates Foundation.
Spanning 23 countries across three continents, these projects represent a unified global response to climate challenges, aiming to create a resilient future for communities worldwide.
Article by Nyokabi Wanjiku
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