As Climate Change Strains Madagascar’s Health Systems, Pivot Responds with Planetary Health Solutions
Pivot’s locally led, science-driven work in Madagascar shows how climate-resilient health systems can protect communities and save lives amid worsening climate impacts.
In Madagascar, the effects of climate change are not distant threats — they are realities our teams face every day. When roads wash away or crops fail, the health of entire communities is at risk. But by combining data, science, and deep partnership with local leaders, we’re proving that a resilient health system can withstand even the strongest storms.
Luc Rakotonirina
Deputy Country Director, Pivot
When Cyclone Batsirai tore across Madagascar in 2022, communities were cut off from roads, clean water, and basic supplies. Yet in the wake of the devastation, local clinics in the Vatovavy region remained open.Research from Planetary Health Alliance member Pivot found that investments in climate-resilient health systems are helping protect community health amid a changing environment.
Madagascar’s geography and chronic poverty make it one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and increasingly severe cyclones are heightening risks of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, while also driving greater exposure to respiratory, diarrheal, and neglected tropical diseases.
Working hand in hand with the Ministry of Public Health, Pivot is strengthening infectious disease diagnosis and treatment through innovative scientific methods—such as using radar imagery to track rice field flooding to guide malaria control efforts—to adapt programs to evolving disease burdens. Pivot also partners with the AfriCam consortium to help community health workers track trends, detect outbreaks, and monitor the circulation of pathogens.
Now more than ever, the world needs models of resilience that truly work — where scientific innovation and community partnership come together to protect both people and the planet. Pivot’s climate-informed work demonstrates that integrating scientific innovation with care delivery can save lives.
Follow Pivot on LinkedIn or visit their website to see how our locally led, evidence-based work in Madagascar is informing global solutions for planetary health.
In many rural communities across Madagascar, the nearest health center is hours away — and the only way to reach it is on foot.
Mandravani, Ifanadiana on October 8, 2024.
A rehabilitated community health center in Vatovavy, Madagascar
