From 14th to 16th April 2025, the Centre for Resilient Agri-food Systems (CRAFS), HISP UNIMA, and the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) successfully conducted a technical workshop at the University of Malawi (UNIMA) campus. The focus of the workshop was on the generation of climate products specifically tailored to support health decision-making in Malawi. This initiative aligns with CRAFS’ and HISP UNIMA's broader goals of enhancing the integration of climate information into public health systems, particularly for the management of climate-sensitive diseases.

The workshop brought together selected officers from the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS), namely Mr. Hussein Milanzie, Ms. Keenness Mang’anda, and Ms. Brenda Mdzagada-Soko, together with CRAFS and HISP staff. These participants were chosen for their technical expertise in climate data analysis and product development, which was instrumental in achieving the workshop's objectives.

The key goals of the session were to develop climate products that are relevant to health outcomes, build internal capacity within DCCMS for tailored climate information generation, and ensure that these products can be seamlessly integrated into the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) used by the Ministry of Health.

During the workshop, several essential climate products were successfully generated. These include the onset and cessation dates of the rainy season, the length of the growing season, monthly rainfall totals, dry spell analysis, as well as monthly average minimum and maximum temperatures. These outputs were developed using historical climate data and appropriate modeling techniques aligned with the CRAFS  objectives.

The integration of these climate products into the DHIS2 platform is expected to significantly enhance the health sector's capacity to anticipate and respond to climate-related health risks. By improving access to reliable and actionable climate information, health professionals will be better equipped to plan interventions, allocate resources efficiently, and build resilience in public health service delivery.

This workshop marks a critical step toward operationalising the link between climate and health in Malawi. DCCMS reaffirmed its commitment to supporting CRAFS, HISP UNIMA, and the Ministry of Health in this endeavor. Moving forward, future sessions will focus on refining these products and developing even more comprehensive tools for climate-informed decision-making in the health sector.