Happy New Year from Forecasting Healthy Futures!

As we look back on a year alarmingly full of climate events and their devastating aftermath, and after COP27’s sobering look at the state of global warming and our imperfect efforts to turn it around, it’s natural to feel concerned and discouraged about the future. In the long wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re also more focused than ever on the fragility of human health, and waiting with trepidation for the next emergency. It doesn’t help that researchers have found that over half of all infectious diseases may be worsened by climate change.

But as we head into 2023, we’re predicting more encouraging days ahead!

Forecasting Healthy Futures supports the inspiring work of a broad range of researchers, innovators, and trailblazing donors who are beginning to demonstrate increasingly feasible ways we can “climate-proof” global health systems and disease elimination efforts. Thanks to an expanded program under a new multi-million dollar grant from our partners at Reaching the Last Mile, this year will be a momentous one for the Forecasting Healthy Futures initiative, its consortium members and affiliated experts, and the broader climate and health community.

I’m pleased to announce that in March, we will host the first FHF Global Summit, convening a wide array of thought leaders, researchers, donors and policy makers to take stock of climate’s impact on human health, and to showcase emerging solutions to the challenges ahead. That event will kick off a series of other impactful convenings throughout 2023, culminating in a reimagined health agenda at the United Nations Climate Change Conference hosted by the United Arab Emirates in Dubai.

These efforts and more are part of our New Years resolution here for Forecasting Healthy Futures: to identify and promote practical, proactive global health solutions in the context of climate change.

Best regards,

Kelly Willis

Managing Director, Strategy & Growth
on behalf of the Forecasting Healthy Futures Initiative