BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health joins South Asia heat and health hub
The BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health (BRAC JPGSPH), BRAC University, has joined a major new regional initiative to strengthen responses to extreme heat across South Asia, becoming the only institution from Bangladesh in its core coordinating group.
The South Asia Heat and Health Hub brings together leading research, policy, and development organisations to address the growing health risks posed by rising temperatures. The initiative aims to improve coordination, strengthen early warning systems, and support countries in protecting vulnerable populations from the effects of extreme heat.
Hosted by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) in New Delhi, the hub is part of the Global Heat Health Information Network and is supported by Wellcome under the WHO–WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme.
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The hub is being coordinated by five organisations: CEEW, Sustainable Futures Collaborative, Natural Resources Defense Council, BRAC JPGSPH, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). It will work closely with technical partners, including the Indian Institute for Tropical Meteorology and the India Meteorological Department, to strengthen heat forecasting and early warning systems across the region.
South Asia is among the regions most vulnerable to extreme heat, with temperatures rising faster than the global average. The region is already facing growing heat-related health risks, while Bangladesh has seen temperatures rise by 4.5 degrees Celsius over the past four decades, adding pressure to health systems and vulnerable communities.
Through this initiative, the hub will support stronger heat-health early warning systems, evidence-based heat action plans, improved regional coordination and information sharing, and the documentation and scaling of effective interventions. Over the coming years, the platform is expected to engage more than 60 institutions and train more than 500 professionals across South Asia.
Associate Professor and Lead of the Climate Change, Environment and Health Hub at BRAC JPGSPH, Dr Farzana Misha said, "Extreme heat is not a future risk; it is already here. Unlike cyclones or floods, it is less visible, and therefore often underestimated, yet its impacts are far-reaching. It directly affects human health while placing sustained pressure on health systems and disrupting food and water security. In South Asia, one of the most climate-vulnerable and least-prepared regions, this challenge is particularly urgent. The GHHIN South Asia hub is an important step toward bringing together regional knowledge, shared experiences, and collective action to better respond to this growing threat."
The initiative reflects BRAC JPGSPH's growing role in evidence-based climate and health action in Bangladesh through research, policy engagement, and regional leadership on extreme heat, urban resilience, and health systems adaptation.
