By Velma Wanjiru | mutandavelma8@gmail.com
Climate change continues to be a global health concern due to shifting environmental risk factors such as rising temperatures, severe weather, and changing ecosystems.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), known avoidable environmental risk factors cause at least 13 million deaths every year and about one quarter of the global burden of disease.
As these challenges grow there is need for an informed discussion and accurate reporting to help the public understand the growing interaction between environmental issues and public health.
In this regard, the Media for Environment Science Health and Agriculture (MESHA), a professional association for science journalists and communicators, will host a virtual science café on the nexus between climate change and health.
The café, scheduled to take place on the 6th of August, 2026, will bring together students, journalists and experts under the theme “Climate change and health”.
Participants will gain insights on how climate change affects the health of communities, discussing emerging health risks and learn practical approaches on evidence-based reporting on climate change and health issues.
The interactive session will also provide participants with an opportunity to engage directly with experts, ask questions, and strengthen their capacity to report accurately on one of the world’s most pressing development challenges.
The experts include Friday Phiri, a Climate change and health advocacy lead at Amref Health Africa. He will provide insights on the link between climate change and community health including the adaptations aimed at building resilience by the community and the role of media in reporting this issue.
Rose K. Mokaya, Assistant Director of Public Health in the Ministry of Health’s Climate Change and Health Unit, will share insights on Kenya’s climate change policies as well and the effort the ministry of health is putting to deal with the nexus between health and climate change.
Dorise Ng’ong’a, Gender, disability social inclusion and education advisor at World Vision Kenya, will highlight issues dealing with gender and social inclusion when reporting on climate change.
©MESHA Features 2026
