On 29 August 2025, Africa Health Research Institute’s Durban campus became a hub of imagination and problem-solving at the Climate and Health Research Ideas Hackathon.
A hackathon is not a marathon of coding, as the name might suggest, but rather an intense, fast-paced workshop where bright minds pitch bold ideas, test them, and refine them with input from peers. The goal: to transform sparks of insight into clear, actionable projects that can drive real-world change.
Research associates within the climate and health department shared new ideas linking climate change to human health, from tracking how extreme weather affects mental health and HIV risk, to building early warning systems that protect communities from climate-sensitive diseases, to understanding water insecurity and its ripple effects on health. After the rapid-fire idea sessions, the group worked collectively to sharpen, combine, and prioritise the most promising concepts.
By the end of the day, a handful of projects emerged with the potential to grow into full-scale research initiatives, laying the groundwork for grant applications in 2026.
This wasn’t just a meeting; it was a creative sprint to reimagine how science can respond to the negative impact of climate change on health. The hackathon proved that when diverse perspectives collide in the right environment, powerful solutions can take root.
