These 20 local solutions are drawn from Teach to Reach 11: Local action to mitigate the impact of the climate crisis on health.
They are not a substitute for the report, but a way into it: concrete examples that show what health workers and communities are actually doing when floods, heat, disrupted transport, and shifting disease patterns put care at risk.
Read together, and alongside the key findings and recommendations, they reveal a pattern that runs through the report: much of the first response is self-organized, self-funded, and carried out with little or no external or government support.
That is why these examples matter.
They make visible the practical intelligence, unpaid effort, and local leadership on which climate adaptation in health is already relying.
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Dr Kassoum Barry, Medical doctor, Bamako, Mali:
“In October 2024, Mali was hit by flooding throughout the interior regions, including the capital Bamako. To get around this difficulty, the population was obliged use makeshift boats, pinasses and pirogues to reach the health centres.”
Kojo Pieterson, Doctor, Education or research organization, Teshie, Ghana:
“Some of the patients reached me on the phone through calls and WhatsApp messages. For some of those who needed drug refills, laboratory investigations and other assessments… it was sent to me via WhatsApp for feedback.”
Ngontcha Basile, Community health worker, Cité Verte health district, Yaoundé, Cameroon:
“I approached the district chief and the mayor of the subdivision to help set up two spaces with secure roofs to protect people from the sun and heat. We then devised short messages to invite people to two health education sessions in the late afternoon, when the heat is easing slightly.”
Mory Camara, Doctoral student in health communication, Ministry of Health, Bamako, Mali:
“In a show of solidarity, all of donations, mosquito nets and medicines, were offered to the victims by benefactors and the government, before setting up a crisis committee made up of local people to collect food and non-food donations for the victims.”
Dr Khalid Hussain Memon, Public health specialist, Sindh Province, Pakistan:
“On the 29th day, the District Health Officer arranged a tractor trolly with the support of a local landlord of a nearby town 15 km away from the affected town, filled it with essential medicines, and we succeeded to reach the rural health centre of the affected town.”
Naingar Service, Public health technician, Ministry of Health, Doba, Chad:
“It is above all the women who have adopted a responsible attitude to children’s health, they organise themselves into groups to contribute money for any health problems affecting their families.”
Sidikou Issaka Maiga, Ministry of Health, Niamey, Niger:
“To overcome the obstacles, we recruited local distributors and brought them in by pirogue to supply them with the campaign materials to carry out the activity.”
Eegunjobi Anifat Omowumi, Public health specialist, Ministry of Health, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria:
“I sought the permission of my husband to allow her to stay in our house until her house was being roofed and renovated. This woman was helpless that she could not find any help in renovating her house.”
Obafemi Babalola, Public health specialist, NGO, Nigeria:
“We had to act quickly to prevent a full-scale health crisis. We moved vaccines to temporary cold storage units in safer, flood-free areas with operational local health centres that were still functional, ensuring that vaccination campaigns continued despite the disruptions.”
Salahuddeen Mohammed Shitu, Social worker, NGO, Kaduna state, Nigeria:
“We partnered with local canoe operators to transport medical staff and supplies to hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, we collaborated with community leaders to identify the most vulnerable households and ensure they received priority care.”
Meugang Brigitte, Nurse, Ministry of Health, Nkomoo subdivision medical centre, Cameroon:
“The local youths would take the risk of getting willing users across, using their shoulders as a means of transport, in return for a 100 franc coin. Other young people volunteered to clear the gutters so that the stagnant water could drain away.”
Victoire Odia, Nurse, Ngandajika territory, Lomami province, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
“With the women’s group approach, we have set up a system of close monitoring through networking, which has enabled pregnant women from the age of 32 weeks to take a roundabout route to arrive at the maternity hospital in time for the assisted birth. Their stays were paid for by the women’s group solidarity fund.”
Nicolas Kashama Saidia, Nutritionist, Ministry of Health, Kabare territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
“In my community, Kavumu in particular, people have rallied round to buy a plot of land and build a health centre themselves to bring them closer healthcare.”
Jean-Richard Mutombo, Programme officer, NGO, Tshibuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
“Today, we have mobilised some resources from generous people living in the towns to build a health centre in the village of Tshibuba. Work has already started and the foundation stage will be completed in 10 days’ time. The local population is helping by collecting water, sand and local labour.”
Geh Raphaela Agwa, Midwife, Ministry of Health, Bomaka Community, Buea, Cameroon:
“The quarter heads realized that everything was slow when it rained that much. So everyone from each household was called upon to dig the gutters so that cars could move even though it rained heavily.”
Konan Kouamé Georges, Public health medical doctor, Ministry of Health, Yopougon Health District, Côte d’Ivoire:
“The rainy season led us to observe a dengue epidemic in 2023. Epidemiological surveillance has been stepped up, with dengue and malaria rapid tests being carried out on suspected cases and data being transmitted on a daily basis instead of on a weekly basis.”
Maiga Nana Jacqueline, Midwife, Ministry of Health, Fada District, Burkina Faso:
“Some roads are impassable during the winter months, making healthcare inaccessible. To remedy this, village midwives from these communities have been trained to assist in childbirth. This state of affairs is all the more satisfying in that hygienic deliveries are taking place without complications.”
Habila Christiana Habu, Community health worker, Ministry of Health, Taraba State, Nigeria:
“We organized mobile health clinics, using boats to reach stranded communities. These boats were borrowed from local fishermen, who generously offered their assistance. We prioritized essential services, such as immunizations, antenatal care, and treatment for common illnesses like malaria and diarrhea.”
Malick Ndome, Project manager, NGO, Kolda, Senegal:
“The floods have blocked and destroyed the existing tracks. The women all missed their appointments. We provided telephones to facilitate contact between women in labour and the midwives, who were able to give useful advice while waiting to receive them at the health centre.”
Neville Kasongo, Community health worker, NGO, YouthCorps against malaria, Democratic Republic of the Congo:
“We organised mobile healthcare units capable of moving around the affected areas using boats or all-terrain vehicles, where possible. We also set up communication lines to coordinate the response, including the use of drones to transport essential medicines and medical equipment to the hardest-to-reach places.”