CHOICE: Progress at the intersection of climate change and health across borders
As the world advances the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, IDRC is drawing on its strength as a global convener and its experience working with leading think tanks to address the health and health-related Sustainable Development Goals (HHSDGs) through the Consortium to Address Climate Change, Health and Complex Challenges, also known as CHOICE.
CHOICE leverages multisectoral think tanks and regional consortia to provide cross-cutting solutions towards achieving the HHSDGs. The initiative builds on earlier IDRC-funded work that identified governance, institutional and implementation challenges to be key barriers to HHSDGs progress and drew lessons from consultations in countries across five regions.
CHOICE aims to address complex health challenges using cross-sectoral approaches. The initiative is co-funded with the Aga Khan Foundation Canada and led by Aga Khan University and SickKids Hospital in Toronto, Canada.
The challenge: Meeting global health targets
Addressing the HHSDGs in the face of multidimensional threats requires a collaborative strategy with civil society, research institutions, funders and governments working together to develop coordinated action plans. Under CHOICE, country teams in Ghana, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and Tanzania formed leading national think tanks, working together and benefiting from a global technical advisory group to
- foster a critical mass to help drive concrete and measurable actions at national levels
- create a framework to monitor progress toward the HHSDGs
- conduct in-depth country case studies to gather evidence that will lead to local cross-cutting solutions for improved health, mental health, nutrition, food systems and gender equity
Spotlight on the Ghana think tank
Ghana has taken a leading role in the CHOICE program. The Ghana team brings important strengths to the table: strong capacities in networking, expertise in leading think tanks and the convening capacity needed to pull together a diverse set of actors from across the region to address issues at the nexus of climate change and health.
The Ghana HHSDGs Think Tank includes
- the National Development Planning Commission
- the University of Cape Coast
- the University of Ghana
- the United Nations Population Fund
- the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection
- many other important players
The think tank developed policy briefs, conducted networking and advocacy and engaged with important stakeholders in climate and health through the collective power of the think tank. Moving from theory to constructive engagement, they hosted advocacy workshops to unpack the challenges around making progress towards the HHSDGs.
They found that Ghana’s slow progress towards the HHSDGs was driven by several interconnected underlying challenges. This led to important recommendations to accelerate progress in areas such as maternal and child mortality, communicable diseases, food security, malnutrition and safe drinking water, among others.
Legend | |
| SDG2 | Zero hunger |
| SDG3 | Good health and well-being |
| SDG5 | Gender equality |
| SDG6 | Clean water and sanitation |
| SDG13 | Climate action |
The Ghana HHSDGs Think Tank’s assessment of progress toward the health and health-related SDGs
The table below details the think tank’s analysis of progress and challenges related to attaining the HHSDGs in Ghana.
| HHSDGs | Progress | Challenges |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good health and well-being | Significant progress in
Progress has influenced Ghana’s health and health-related policies and programs. | Challenges remain and require acceleration
|
| SDG 5: Gender equality | Progressive increase in gender goals related to
Ghana has enacted laws and amended gender-related laws to protect the rights and interests of women and children. | Challenges remain and require some level of acceleration
|
SDG 13: Climate action
| Significant progress in
| Acceleration is required related to resilience, adaptive capacity, awareness, planning and management
|
The team continues to monitor the implementation of government and stakeholder recommendations to advance the HHSDGs.
Scaling achievements from the national to the regional level
To fuel progress and results, the Ghana think tank founded the Climate Change and Health INNOVation hub for West and Central Africa (CHINNOVA). This hub comprises institutions from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon, covering 17 countries and bringing together leading think tanks and institutions.
Established with a five-year, CAD4.8 million grant, CHINNOVA aims to reduce gaps in knowledge on climate change and health, while improving gender equality and inclusion in actions toward climate-resilient health systems in West and Central Africa.
Alongside CHINNOVA, the think tank will build on its strengths and impact at the national level and expand them to the regional level in West and Central Africa. Through these efforts, the think tank is actively working to mitigate the impacts of climate change on public health. It stands as a model of collaboration, poised to make significant contributions to the resilience of health systems in the region and ensuring inclusive, effective progress towards the HHSDGs.
Vision: A healthier future for all
By fostering collaboration among think tanks, CHOICE is creating a dynamic platform for knowledge sharing, capacity building and innovative policy solutions to address complex challenges at the intersection of global health and climate change.
Discover recent news about the Ghana HHSDGs Think Tank
- Health sector actors urged to collaborate strategically to achieve health-related SDGs
- HHSDG Think Tank launched to accelerate progress on health-related sustainable development goals in Ghana
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