South Africa has launched its first Climate and Health Surveillance Platform to strengthen the country’s ability to monitor, understand and respond to the growing health impacts of climate change.
The platform was conceptualised and developed by Prof Caradee Wright, chief specialist scientist and head of the Climate and Health Research Programme, with support from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and the University of Pretoria.
The launch comes as the country increasingly grapples with the devastating effects of climate-related disasters, including deadly floods, prolonged droughts, extreme heatwaves, worsening air pollution and climate-sensitive diseases that continue to place pressure on vulnerable communities and the health-care system.
Recently, the Western Cape experienced severe weather conditions, including torrential rainfall of between 150mm and 200mm in mountainous areas, gale-force winds reaching 120km/h, widespread river flooding and dam spillovers.
The disaster left more than 103,000 people displaced and over 31,700 structures affected in Cape Town alone, while more than 2,000 displaced residents had to be accommodated in emergency shelters.
Climate change is no longer a future threat. It is already affecting health outcomes and placing pressure on vulnerable communities and the health system.
— Prof Caradee Wright, chief specialist scientist and head of the Climate and Health Research Programme
Wright said the platform responds to the urgent need for locally relevant climate-health intelligence to help inform practical public health responses in South Africa.
“Climate change is no longer a future threat. It is already affecting health outcomes and placing pressure on vulnerable communities and the health system,” she said.
She added that the platform creates an important foundation for understanding where risks are emerging, how environmental conditions intersect with health, and how evidence can better support decision-making and preparedness.
The impact of climate-related disasters on health-care infrastructure has already been significant across the country.
Last year, health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi provided a provincial breakdown of health facilities damaged by natural disasters during the 2024/25 financial year:
- In Limpopo, 12 health facilities were damaged, with repair costs estimated at more than R4.2m.
- The Eastern Cape recorded damage to 17 health facilities, with projected repair costs exceeding R128m.
- In Gauteng, four health facilities were damaged during the 2023/24 financial year, costing more than R15m in repairs.
- KwaZulu-Natal recorded six damaged health facilities in 2023/24, while 10 more facilities were damaged in 2024/25, bringing total repair costs to more than R88m.
- In the North West, storm damage was recorded at 27 health facilities, with estimated damages exceeding R40m.
- In the Western Cape, 35 health facilities were damaged, with estimated losses amounting to R19m.
According to the scientists, the primary purpose of the platform is to track, visualise and communicate key climate-health interactions across the country in near real time.
The overarching goal of the platform is to support early warning systems, risk communication, public health decision-making and response planning through the systematic monitoring of climate-sensitive health outcomes and climate-related hazards.
As an epidemiological tool, the surveillance dashboard generates and displays visualisations, including time-series plots, maps and trend analyses, to better understand relationships, unusual changes and emerging risks between climate and health at sub-national levels.
The system integrates health data with South African Weather Service alert data on extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts and flooding, to identify spatiotemporal connections between environmental conditions and public health risks.
“The current launch represents Phase 1 of the platform and focuses primarily on surveillance and data visualisation capabilities. Future phases are expected to expand public engagement functionality, including awareness and communication tools aimed at strengthening broader understanding of climate-related health risks,” Wright said.
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine titled “Impacts of Climate Change on Health and Wellbeing in South Africa”, despite policies promoting an ambitious renewable energy programme, the country’s response to climate change has been hampered by policy uncertainty and corruption, particularly in the energy and transport sectors.
The study further found that South Africa’s health systems remain ill-prepared for the effects of climate change and environmental disruptions.
Researchers noted that the new National Climate Change Bill, currently open for public comment, shows promise because its provisions for coordination among different government departments have the potential to reduce policy uncertainty and align climate-related policies.
“The growing impact of climate change has major implications for South Africa, especially for the numerous vulnerable groups in the country,” the study stated.
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