Creating clear and concise climate change and health communication

Climate change is a global phenomenon that poses significant risks to public health but communicating these risks can be challenging given the complexity of the science findings, unfamiliar terminology, and technical jargon. The ENBEL consortium, a collaboration of research projects dedicated to climate change and health, produced dozens of scientific publications, yet one challenge was how to condense and synthesize findings into clear, concise formats. Plain language factsheets that translate research findings from climate change research into accessible information for a broader audience are one tool that can be used to effectively convey complex information. Using this approach, ENBEL developed a research factsheet series dedicated to ‘Climate Change and Health’ that synthesized study findings produced by fourteen ENBEL projects. The series covers fourteen themes including topics such as heat, heart, lung disease, and air pollution, diarrheal disease, schistosomiasis, vector-borne disease, the heat impact on pregnant women and newborns, early warning systems, and non-traditional chronic kidney disease, to name a few. The formatting of the series was designed by a graphic design specialist and all factsheets were reviewed by relevant ENBEL researchers to ensure scientific accuracy. The aim of the series is to raise awareness of these issues and facilitate understanding among non-experts, encouraging informed decision-making based on the evidence. This series expands the reach of ENBEL’s research beyond the scientific community, fostering greater societal impact. The series holds potential for global stakeholders, including national public health institutes, regional organizations such as Africa CDC, and global networks including the International Association of National Public Health Institutes. This presentation will discuss the development methods, what worked, and the dissemination process used to promote the utilization of this series among a broad range of national, regional and global stakeholders.