en.Wedoany.com Reported - Grand Challenges Canada (GCC), in partnership with the Government of Canada, the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation), and other organizations, launched a global initiative called Nexa during London Climate Action Week. The initiative aims to mobilize over $50 million in partner funding to support the scaling of climate health innovations in low- and middle-income countries.
The first Nexa funding call opened on June 22, targeting innovative projects in Africa and the Americas. Partners in the initiative also include the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Sanofi Foundation, the Fund for Innovation in Development, and members of the Global Grand Challenges Network based in Botswana, Brazil, Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa.
According to estimates from the initiative's partners, approximately 3.6 billion people live in climate-vulnerable regions. Researchers surveyed 6,400 respondents across 107 low- and middle-income countries. Across Africa, climate change is increasingly linked to outbreaks of infectious diseases such as malaria, cholera, and dengue fever, while droughts and floods continue to disrupt the delivery of healthcare services.
Previously, donor-supported programs have funded digital disease surveillance systems, climate health planning tools, and mobile technologies that assist frontline healthcare workers in responding to new threats. Nexa aims to accelerate similar innovations developed and led within climate-affected communities.
Dr. Tom Kariuki, CEO of the Science for Africa Foundation, stated that climate and health are among the key challenges of our time, requiring new partnerships and investment models. Dr. Karlee Silver, CEO of Grand Challenges Canada, noted that the global community faces escalating threats to health and livelihoods, while global climate commitments are waning; Nexa aims to support bold, locally-led innovations. Randeep Sarai, Canada's Minister of State for International Development, added that investments in locally-led climate and health innovations can open new pathways for vulnerable communities.
Nexa will initially focus on issues such as extreme heat, mosquito-borne infections, and poor air quality, providing catalytic funding for early-stage and growth-stage climate and health innovations to strengthen the adaptability and resilience of health systems. Proof-of-concept innovations will receive up to $200,000 over 18 to 24 months. Proven solutions will receive "transition to scale" funding of approximately $250,000 to $2 million, depending on their maturity.
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