From climate hazards to diet and physical activity pathways: Investigating policy intersections for health in five global South Cities.
7 affiliations
- 1MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SL, UK.
- 2Observatory for Urban Health in Belo Horizonte, Federal University of Minas Gerais (OSUBH/UFMG), Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil.
- 3Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development, University of Lagos, Lagos, 101245, Nigeria.
- 4Health of Population in Transition Research Group, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, BP337, Cameroon.
- 5The South African Medical Research Council/Wits Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science (PRICELESS SA), Wits School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
- 6Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Johannesburg Metropolitan Area, South Africa.
- 7Health Policy and Systems Division, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa.
Abstract
Climate change, rapid urbanization, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose intersecting threats to public health in low- and middle-income countries. While evidence supports integrating health into climate policy, limited attention has been paid to how climate change and urban resilience policies address key NCD-related pathways, particularly diet and physical activity. As part of the Global Diet and Activity Research (GDAR) Network, this study analyzed 34 climate change and urban resilience policies (2012-2022) across five Global South cities: Belo Horizonte, Yaoundé, Lagos, Johannesburg and Cape Town. The analysis focused on three lenses: climate hazards, pathways to health (diet and physical activity), and social vulnerability considerations. Policies frequently incorporated climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, but explicit consideration of diet, physical activity, and NCD prevention and management was limited. Of 34 policies, 26 addressed diet primarily through food security (n = 19) and agriculture (n = 15), while only two linked food systems to NCDs. Physical activity received limited attention and was mainly framed through active transport goals. Health considerations focused predominantly on immediate climate and disaster-related impacts, with less attention to longer-term NCD-related pathways. Findings highlight important gaps and opportunities for more integrated climate-health policy approaches.
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BibTeX
@article{thondoo2026from,
title = {{From climate hazards to diet and physical activity pathways: Investigating policy intersections for health in five global South Cities.}},
author = {Meelan Thondoo and Nina Abrahams and Elise Borde and Lidia Morais and Erin Mathieu and Damilola Odekunle and Clarisse Mapa-Tassou and Nfondoh Blanche and Edwin Ngwa and Awah Kum Tchouaffi and Victor Onifade and Vide Adedayo and Darshen Naidoo and Elizabeth Thomas and Mikateko Mafuyeka and Felix Assah and Taibat Lawanson and Waleska Caiaffa and Tolullah Oni and Maylene Shung-King},
journal = {The journal of climate change and health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.joclim.2026.100766},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997608},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - From climate hazards to diet and physical activity pathways: Investigating policy intersections for health in five global South Cities.
AU - Meelan Thondoo
AU - Nina Abrahams
AU - Elise Borde
AU - Lidia Morais
AU - Erin Mathieu
AU - Damilola Odekunle
AU - Clarisse Mapa-Tassou
AU - Nfondoh Blanche
AU - Edwin Ngwa
AU - Awah Kum Tchouaffi
AU - Victor Onifade
AU - Vide Adedayo
AU - Darshen Naidoo
AU - Elizabeth Thomas
AU - Mikateko Mafuyeka
AU - Felix Assah
AU - Taibat Lawanson
AU - Waleska Caiaffa
AU - Tolullah Oni
AU - Maylene Shung-King
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - The journal of climate change and health
DO - 10.1016/j.joclim.2026.100766
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42997608
AB - Climate change, rapid urbanization, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose intersecting threats to public health in low- and middle-income countries. While evidence supports integrating health into climate policy, limited attention has been paid to how climate change and urban resilience policies address key NCD-related pathways, particularly diet and physical activity. As part of the Global Diet and Activity Research (GDAR) Network, this study analyzed 34 climate change and urban resilience policies (2012-2022) across five Global South cities: Belo Horizonte, Yaoundé, Lagos, Johannesburg and Cape Town. The analysis focused on three lenses: climate hazards, pathways to health (diet and physical activity), and social vulnerability considerations. Policies frequently incorporated climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, but explicit consideration of diet, physical activity, and NCD prevention and management was limited. Of 34 policies, 26 addressed diet primarily through food security (n = 19) and agriculture (n = 15), while only two linked food systems to NCDs. Physical activity received limited attention and was mainly framed through active transport goals. Health considerations focused predominantly on immediate climate and disaster-related impacts, with less attention to longer-term NCD-related pathways. Findings highlight important gaps and opportunities for more integrated climate-health policy approaches.
SN - 2667-2782
ER -