Reflection on the ASTRA Stakeholder Engagement Meeting: A Promising Start Toward Resilient Healthcare

Reflecting on the ASTRA Stakeholder Engagement Meeting: A Promising Start Toward Resilient Healthcare

On 7 May 2025, the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) convened a National Stakeholder Engagement Meeting at their Durban campus. The event marked a significant step forward in the "Adaptations To Strengthen Healthcare Delivery and Resilience to Extreme Weather Events in Southern Africa" (ASTRA) study. It brought together a diverse and engaged group of stakeholders.

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Participants included representatives from government departments and civil society organisations. The group explored the shared goal of strengthening health systems to better withstand the growing impacts of extreme weather events, particularly for communities affected by HIV and tuberculosis.

The meeting served not only to introduce the ASTRA study but also to begin the essential process of co-creating its direction. Discussions were framed around the five core objectives of the project:

1. Collaboratively designing interventions that address identified needs across health systems and communities
2. Conducting vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessments to establish key health-related baselines
3. Developing system dynamics models to evaluate the effectiveness of proposed interventions
4. Assessing cost-effectiveness to ensure efficient and sustainable resource allocation
5. Equipping the health workforce with the knowledge and tools to respond to the health impacts of climate change

The day was marked by insightful dialogue, productive exchanges, and a clear commitment from all participants to work together toward a more resilient and adaptive health landscape in Southern Africa.

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