Accelerating Action for Extreme Heat and Health - Establishment of Regional Heat Health Hub in South Asia

The World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office, in partnership with the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN), is establishing a South Asia Regional Heat Health Hub to enhance regional coordination and capacity to address the growing health impacts of extreme heat. GHHIN is a global technical collaboration co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that supports the development and implementation of evidence-based policies, tools, and services to protect populations from the health risks of extreme heat, by fostering collaboration between the health, meteorological, and climate communities. GHHIN’s Regional Heat Health Hubs are platforms that foster country-driven collaboration, promote evidence-based action, and facilitate the co-development of heat-health solutions tailored to regional needs.

The South Asia Regional Heat Health Hub will operate under the oversight of a regional governance mechanism convened by WHO SEARO and will work closely with national governments, research institutions, and partners to meet the following objectives:

1. Strengthening regional collaboration– on heat-health action plans and policies in South Asia 
2. Strengthening Stakeholder Engagement – through comprehensive stakeholder mapping and developing communication strategies to foster collaboration across health, meteorology, urban planning, and policy sectors.
3. Developing a Regional Work Plan – with clear activities and milestones to advance heat-health work in the Region e.g. Developing and implementing early warning systems for heat-related health risks, supporting integration of heat adaptation strategies into broader climate and health policies and supporting vulnerable populations through targeted interventions and adaptation strategies.
4. Enhancing Seasonal Heat Preparedness – by conducting pre- and post-heat season briefings, advocacy efforts, and impact assessments in collaboration with regional climate centers.
5. Providing Technical Support & Research Leadership – by assisting network partners and lead science-to-policy pilot projects that address regional heat resilience challenges.
6. Documenting Lessons & Best Practices – by  conducting action research and contributing to synthesis reports to capture and disseminate heat resilience strategies.
7. Facilitating Learning & Mentorship – by organizing regional exchanges, mentorship programs, and study visits to enhance technical capacity.
8. Promoting Knowledge Management – by contributing to blogs, reports, case studies, and multimedia content to share regional experiences.
9. Implementing Monitoring & Evaluation – by assessing the impact of interventions, stakeholder engagement, and policy influence through Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) activities.

WHO seeks a qualified institution or a consortia to lead the development and operationalization of the South Asia Heat Health Hub. The selected entity will manage the Hub’s activities, build strategic partnerships, and support heat-health preparedness across the region. Interested institutions are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in the form of a 20-page PDF document that outlines their suitability and vision for hosting the regional hub. For more information on the regional hub, roles and responsibilities, and application process refer to the links below.