DAIRY-OH-HEAT − Heat Stress in Sub-Saharan Dairy Food Systems: Scoping and Systematic Review using a One Health Heat burden framework Project Inception Report

Dairy farming plays a crucial role in food production and economic stability, especially in Sub Saharan Africa, where smallholder farmers dominate the sector. However, the sustainability and functionality of these systems are increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change, particularly extreme heat and drought. Due to the complex and interconnected nature of these challenges, a One Health approach—acknowledging the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health—is essential to understanding and mitigating the full burden of extreme heat in dairy food systems. Yet, such integrative evidence remains scarce, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. To fill this gap, this review aims to map the research landscape, and construct a One Health Heat Burden Framework (OH-HBF), guided by the three primary research questions: 1. What are the effects of extreme heat on dairy cow health and milk yield? 2. How does heat exposure affect occupational health of dairy farmers? 3. What are the environmental consequences of extreme heat in dairy farming? Literature searches will be conducted across major databases, supplemented with grey literature. Studies will be included if they focus on dairy systems in Sub-Saharan Africa and address at least one of the One Health domains in the context of heat exposure. Data extraction will capture study characteristics, health indicators, as well as outcomes and exposure metrics. A Scoping Review including an evidence map, which will inform the development of the OH-HBF will be conducted, followed by a Systematic Review and meta analysis for quantifying the impacts of extreme heat on dairy food systems.