{"id":109928,"date":"2026-06-21T20:08:04","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T20:08:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/global-nexa-initiative-launches-to-support-climate-and-health-innovations\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T20:08:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T20:08:04","slug":"global-nexa-initiative-launches-to-support-climate-and-health-innovations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/global-nexa-initiative-launches-to-support-climate-and-health-innovations\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Nexa Initiative\u00a0Launches to Support Climate and Health Innovations"},"content":{"rendered":"
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LONDON, June 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At London Climate Action Week,\u00a0Grand Challenges Canada\u00a0(GCC) and\u00a0the Science for Africa\u00a0Foundation\u00a0(SFA Foundation) today announced the launch of\u00a0Nexa,\u00a0a global initiative\u00a0to\u00a0support locally led\u00a0innovations\u00a0that address\u00a0the growing health impacts of climate change.\u00a0Nexa\u00a0is led by GCC (in partnership with the Government of Canada) and SFA\u00a0Foundation, together with\u00a0a global network of collaborators that includes\u00a0Novo Nordisk\u00a0Foundation, Sanofi Foundation, Fund for\u00a0Innovation in\u00a0Development,\u00a0and\u00a0members of the Global Grand Challenges Network in Botswana, Brazil, Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa. Nexa\u00a0aims to mobilize upwards of US$50\u00a0million in partner investment to expand\u00a0the\u00a0impact\u00a0of\u00a0urgently needed\u00a0climate-health innovations in low-and middle-income countries.\u00a0The first Nexa funding call opens June 22 for innovations in Africa and the Americas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The climate crisis has been\u00a0described in\u00a0The Lancet<\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0 <\/em>as\u00a0the\u00a0greatest global health threat\u00a0of\u00a0the 21st<\/sup>\u00a0century.\u00a0 An estimated 3.6 billion people worldwide live in climate-vulnerable regions.\u00a0 Nexa\u00a0responds to the challenges\u00a0communities across low- and middle-income countries\u00a0face\u00a0as\u00a0intensifying climate pressures\u00a0drive\u00a0new and worsening health risks and place\u00a0additional\u00a0strain on already overburdened health systems.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunities\u00a0around the world\u00a0are facing rapidly growing threats to their health and livelihoods while global climate commitments are weakening,\u201d said\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Karlee\u00a0Silver, CEO, Grand Challenges Canada.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cNexa\u00a0is about\u00a0supporting\u00a0bold, locally led innovation\u00a0to transform\u00a0how people stay healthy in\u00a0the face of climate change.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nexa\u00a0is informed by\u00a0findings from the largest climate and health survey to date,\u00a0which engaged\u00a06,400 respondents\u00a0across\u00a0107\u00a0low- and middle-income\u00a0countries.\u00a0In 2025, Grand Challenges Canada, the Science for Africa Foundation and the Global Grand Challenges Network partnered with\u00a0The Geneva Learning Foundation\u00a0to gather insights from health workers, scientists, innovators, policymakers, and humanitarian workers affected by climate-related health threats.\u00a0Findings are being prepared for publication in an academic journal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cClimate and health is one of the defining challenges of our time and it will require new models of partnership and investment,\u201d said Dr. Tom Kariuki, CEO of the Science for Africa Foundation. \u201cThose closest to these challenges are often closest to the solutions. Nexa demonstrates what is possible when African priorities, local innovation, and global collaboration come together around a shared goal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rising temperatures, changing disease patterns and\u00a0severe weather events disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including pregnant women,\u00a0people with chronic illnesses, children,\u00a0and underserved communities with limited access to healthcare.\u00a0Nexa\u00a0will support\u00a0bold\u00a0innovations\u00a0that focus\u00a0on\u00a0three key\u00a0climate-related drivers of\u00a0health risks\u00a0to\u00a0vulnerable\u00a0communities:\u00a0changing vector patterns\u00a0(causing\u00a0malaria\u00a0and\u00a0dengue), extreme heat,\u00a0and poor air quality.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Government of Canada is proud to support Nexa. Investments in locally led climate and health innovations can create new pathways for vulnerable communities to overcome the health impacts of climate change and safeguard global health,\u201d said the Honourable Randeep Sarai, Canada\u2019s Secretary of State for International Development.
\u00a0\u00a0
Nexa\u00a0will provide catalytic funding for both early-stage and growth-stage climate and health innovations\u00a0that strengthen health systems adaptation and resilience and have a\u00a0strong potential for impact and scale. Proof of Concept innovations will receive up to\u00a0US$200,000\u00a0over 18-24 months\u00a0to\u00a0support early-stage ideas. Proven solutions will receive approximately US$250,000 – $2,000,000 of Transition to Scale funding each, depending on the maturity of the innovation.<\/p>\n

Innovations may take the form of a product, process,\u00a0service,\u00a0or delivery model that can deliver better outcomes than existing approaches and lead to transformational impact.\u00a0Applications for innovations in Africa and the Americas will be accepted from June 22 \u2013\u00a0July 22, 2026. Future funding calls will address climate and health innovation in Asia.\u00a0Initial investments to support early- and growth-stage climate and health innovators will begin in early 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Philanthropic, public-sector, and private sector partners\u00a0interested in joining\u00a0Nexa\u00a0and\u00a0potential\u00a0applicants\u00a0can visit \u00a0www.nexaclimate.org<\/a> \u00a0to learn more.\u00a0Funding opportunities will open June 22,\u00a02026,\u00a0at\u00a0www.grandchallenges.ca\/apply-for-funding\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

About Nexa:<\/strong> Nexa is a global climate and health initiative co-led by Grand Challenges Canada and the Science for Africa Foundation, together with a global network of partners. Nexa supports locally led innovations that help communities anticipate, adapt, and respond to climate-related health threats, with an initial focus on extreme heat, mosquito-borne infections, and poor air quality. Informed by insights from past funding calls and the largest-ever global survey of health workers on climate and health, Nexa invests in solutions that strengthen timely health action where it\u2019s needed most.<\/p>\n

Nexa partners include Grand Challenges Canada, the Science for Africa Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Sanofi Foundation, Fund for Innovation in Development, and Grand Challenges members\u00a0in\u00a0Botswana (Botswana Innovation Fund), Brazil, Malawi (NSCT Malawi), Rwanda, Senegal (Institut Pasteur Dakar), and South Africa (South African Medical Research Council).<\/p>\n

About Grand Challenges Canada:<\/strong> Grand Challenges Canada<\/a>\u00a0(GCC) backs Bold Ideas with Big Impact\u00ae. With anchor funding from the Government of Canada, GCC invests in bold, locally led innovations solving critical health and development challenges, and helps the most promising solutions reach millions of people around the world. GCC has supported more than 1,600 innovations in 110 countries and aims to reach 700 million people by 2035. Learn more at\u00a0www.grandchallenges.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n

About Science for Africa Foundation:<\/strong> The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) is a pan-African, non-profit, and public charity organisation that supports, strengthens, and promotes science and innovation in Africa. SFA Foundation serves the African research ecosystem by investing in transformative research and innovation, enabling interdisciplinary collaborations, and building and reinforcing environments that are conducive for scientists to thrive and produce quality research that generates new, locally relevant knowledge. Learn more at www.scienceforafrica.foundation<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Contact<\/u><\/strong>: Gillian Mathurin, +1-647-406-5731\u00a0\u00a0
media@grandchallenges.ca<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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LONDON, June 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At London Climate Action Week,\u00a0Grand Challenges Canada\u00a0(GCC) and\u00a0the Science for Africa\u00a0Foundation\u00a0(SFA Foundation) today announced the launch of\u00a0Nexa,\u00a0a global initiative\u00a0to\u00a0support locally led\u00a0innovations\u00a0that address\u00a0the growing health impacts of climate change.\u00a0Nexa\u00a0is led by GCC (in partnership with the Government of Canada) and SFA\u00a0Foundation, together with\u00a0a global network of collaborators that includes\u00a0Novo […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":109929,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/ml.globenewswire.com\/Resource\/Download\/1d1574d3-7c39-49e5-8698-d67c4772ef9e","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[208],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-globenewswire"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t