Story Behind the Research: Meet Abraham Openy, Bridging the Climate-Health Nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abraham is one of our new DocNet members and part of the SusTra doctoral pilot. A medical doctor by training, he shares his passion for researching the respiratory health impacts of air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa. His work bridges public health, climate justice, and health systems resilience to help build a healthier, more equitable future for all communities.

My name is Abraham Openy, a Ugandan medical doctor and public health practitioner currently pursuing a PhD at the Centre for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research (CERH), Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu. My journey into research has been deeply personal and professional shaped by my work on the frontlines of rural health systems in sub-Saharan Africa, where I witnessed firsthand the fragility of health services in the face of climate extremes, underfunding, and emerging health threats.

The turning point for me was during my medical training and early practice, where I dealt with patients affected by preventable illnesses that were compounded by environmental and socio-economic determinants. These experiences made me question how health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) could be better designed, not just to treat illness, but to anticipate and withstand the shocks of a changing climate and global health emergencies. After completing a Master of Science in Public Health (Health Systems and Disease Control) at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, Belgium; with support from the Belgian Development Cooperation. I focused my thesis on the sustainability of externally assisted health programs in sub-Saharan Africa. I developed a “best fit” framework using realist grounded theory to guide future implementation strategies in fragile health systems. This work is currently under peer review.

Currently, as a doctoral researcher under the Finnish Government’s Planetary Health and Sustainability Transformations (SusTra) program, my research focuses on the respiratory health impacts of both household and ambient air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa. I am particularly interested in exploring geospatial and epidemiological correlations between air pollutants; ambient (e.g., PM2.5, NO₂, SO₂, O₃) and household sources (e.g., biomass fuel, charcoal, wood, volatile organic compounds) and adverse health outcomes such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), using demographic health survey and satellite-derived environmental data. My research is not only scientific, but also a commitment to justice. The communities I come from and serve are among the most vulnerable yet least able to mitigate or adapt to the worsening effects of climate change. My work seeks to amplify the evidence needed to design climate-smart, equitable health systems that leave no one behind.

Outside the academia, I enjoy writing policy briefs and engaging with global health governance platforms like when I presented at the 140th WHO Executive Board Meeting and my recent technical leadership in a national HIV/TB epidemic control program in Uganda. I’m also a passionate member of several scientific and public health communities, including the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH), Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE), and the Social Medicine Consortium (SMC). I find inspiration in interdisciplinary thinking and am deeply influenced by literature and initiatives on planetary health, One Health, and health equity. I often listen to podcasts like The Lancet Voice and Climate One to stay up to date.

As a researcher, I see myself contributing to evidence bridge connecting clinical realities, environmental science, and health systems thinking. I’m honoured to be part of the UniPID DocNet community and look forward to learning from, collaborating with, and contributing to this vibrant network. You can explore my previous work and publications through my ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2039-1438, I can also be found on LinkedIn.

***

Thank you, Abraham, for sharing your inspiring journey and important work with us. We're excited to have you in the DocNet community and look forward to learning more from your research.

If you are a PhD researcher and have not joined us yet, do not hesitate to register as a DocNet member here. Stay updated by following us on social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Instagram), visiting our website, and subscribing to our mailing list.

Photo credits: Jonathan Göhner, 2024 on Unsplash.