Partnerships for public health: turning guidance into action
As Jordan experienced one of its most severe summers in recent memory, prolonged heatwaves turned the climate crisis into an immediate health and wellbeing concern for many communities across the country. While heat has long been part of life in Jordan, its increasing intensity and duration are placing growing pressure on households and public health systems.
In response, Mercy Corps’ climate resilience project, Tabeaa, under the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance, translated community-level evidence into practical heat-health action. Guided by a heat resilience assessment, leveraging the Climate Resilience Measurement for Communities (CRMC) framework and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) analysis, a national level campaign (Harrek Wa’yak - حرّك وعيك) was designed to reach those most exposed with clear and reliable guidance, including: children walking long distances to school, pregnant women out in the midday heat, and older adults living in poorly-ventilated homes.
The campaign (Figure 1, below) combined tailored heat-health messages with community-level awareness and outreach efforts. In its first wave, the intervention reached more than 700,000 people online through short, practical guidance integrated into daily routines. The content was presented through simple graphics that offered easy recommendations, helping audiences connect the advice to real-world scenarios. In-person sessions in four localities reinforced these messages, engaging with nearly 500 adults and confirming strong understanding and intention to adopt the recommended practices. The intervention responded to resilience gaps identified through the communities via the CRMC assessment which highlighted the need for trusted and practical heat-health guidance.
National leadership that built public trust
The campaign was launched under the leadership of the Ministry of Health, ensuring that all messages were scientifically sound, nationally aligned, and delivered through channels trusted by communities. This leadership positioned Harrek Wa’yak as a public health intervention embedded within existing systems, rather than a standalone awareness effort. Local social media channels across the different communities amplified the messages voluntarily through their platforms, signaling ownership and confidence in the content. This alignment between government leadership, local institutions and the needs of the community reinforced the role of non-governmental organizations as partners that support and advance national priorities, rather than short-term actors.
Partnerships that turned awareness into real action
The campaign was further strengthened through collaboration with the private sector, with MedLabs, a diagnostic laboratory services company, contributing as a technical health partner. MedLabs supported content development with clinical expertise and provided free on-site health screenings during community events. This meant that participants not only received guidance but also accessed basic preventive health services as part of the same engagement. The partnership opened new doors for how the private sector can support climate adaptation, shifting CSR from one-off contributions to meaningful, community-centered engagement.
“It is important for MedLabs to support such efforts for the sake of direct impact on community health, which builds trust and credibility with the community, aligns with preventive health values, and supports partnerships. Plus, we believed in this project because we have noticed the effect of climate change on the health of the community, so we wanted to be part of the health community resilience.” - Medlabs representative
Today, Harrek Wa’yak stands as more than a heatwave awareness campaign. It is proof that when partnerships are intentional and grounded in evidence, they can influence investment and unlock new pathways for resilience. It showed the government that non-governmental organizations can strengthen national strategies; it showed the private sector that climate resilience is a shared responsibility; and it showed communities that institutions can move together in ways that genuinely reflect their needs.