James Chirombo, a PhD student in spatial statistics at Lancaster University and member of the malaria epidemiology group was recently awarded a 6-month climate change and health fellowship at Dignitas International (DI) in Zomba. 

James, whose PhD work includes statistical modelling of climate interactions with diseases such as malaria, will be conducting a feasibility study for DI to explore the relationship between climate change and health and inform the design of a future pilot initiative in climate change and health.

The broad aim of the study is to find the role that DI can play in supporting health systems in Malawi in building climate change and health preparedness capacity and health systems with increased climate resiliency. As well as potentially generating postdoctoral research opportunities for James, the project links well to strategic interests within the malaria epidemiology group and offers an excellent opportunity to explore a potential partnership in this area between DI and MLW.

James said “In collaboration with the international research institute (IRI), I am modelling the relationship between climate and malaria to produce risk maps. The goal is to provide tools for decision making in the control of climate-sensitive diseases”