Process and outputs from a community codesign workshop on reducing impact of heat exposure on pregnant and postpartum women and newborns in Kilifi, Kenya
Bibliographic Data
Background: Ambient heat exposure is increasing due to climate change and is known to affect the health of pregnant and postpartum women, and their newborns. Evidence for the effectiveness of interventions to prevent heat health outcomes in east Africa is limited. Codesigning and integrating local-indigenous and conventional knowledge is essential to develop effective adaptation to climate change. Methods: Following qualitative research on heat impacts in a community in Kilifi, Kenya, we conducted a two-day codesign workshop to inform a set of interventions to reduce the impact of heat exposure on maternal and neonatal health. Participants were drawn from a diverse group of purposively selected influencers, implementers, policy makers, service providers and community members. The key domains of focus for the discussion were: behavioral practices, health facilities and health system factors, home environment, water scarcity, and education and awareness. Following the discussions and group reflections, data was transcribed, coded and emerging intervention priorities ranked based on the likelihood of success, cost effectiveness, implementation feasibility, and sustainability. Results: Twenty one participants participated in the codesign discussions. Accessibility to water supplies, social behavior-change campaigns, and education were ranked as the top three most sustainable and effective interventions with the highest likelihood of success. Prior planning and contextualizing local set-up, cross-cultural and religious practices and budget considerations are important in increasing the chances of a successful outcome in codesign. Conclusion: Codesign of interventions on heat exposure with diverse groups of participants is feasible to identify and prioritize adaptation interventions. The codesign workshop was used as an opportunity to build capacity among facilitators and participants as well as to explore interventions to address the impact of heat exposure on pregnant and postpartum women, and newborns. We successfully used the codesign model in co-creating contextualized socio-culturally acceptable interventions to reduce the risk of heat on maternal and neonatal health in the context of climate change. Our interventions can be replicated in other similar areas of Africa and serve as a model for co-designing heat-health adaptation
Behavior change · Behavior change communication · Business · Economics · Environmental health · Focus group · Indigenous · Influencer marketing · Population · Psychological intervention · Scarcity · Service provider · Sustainability · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Energy and Environment Impacts · Global Health and Surgery · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology · Marketing
Research co-design in health
Global, regional, and national trends in under-5 mortality between 1990 and 2019 with scenario-based projections until 2030
Local-indigenous knowledge on disaster risk reduction
Climate change and the potential effects on maternal and pregnancy outcomes
Past and projected climate change impacts on heat-related child mortality in Africa
Vulnerability of Newborns to Environmental Factors
Multiple knowledge systems and participatory actions in slow-onset effects of climate change
Investigating the linkages between pregnancy outcomes and climate in sub-Saharan Africa
Locally led adaptation
"Mothers get really exhausted!" The lived experience of pregnancy in extreme heat
Inclusive public participation in health
Co-designing Services for Youth With Mental Health Issues
| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |