What comes to mind when you hear “Africa Climate and Health Data Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN) - Data Science for Climate and Health Training”? A long, dry seminar full of jargon and rote learning? Or something more dynamic, grounded, and impactful?
Thankfully, for the more than 250 learners who participated in the CAN training since 2024, it was the latter. The central principle behind these virtual training cohorts, led by the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (the Global Partnership) and OpenUp, is that data should empower action. Especially in climate and health, where communities across Africa are disproportionately affected, data must be a tool for adaptation, mitigation, and justice.
The CAN initiative by the Global Partnership and data.org, supported by Wellcome Trust is establishing a pan-African network of professionals, encompassing government, academia, civil society, and the private sector, collaborating to develop data-driven solutions at the intersection of climate and health. OpenUp has played a role in this vision, co-designing and delivering the 3-month training for cohorts two and three, and mentoring participants through one-to-one coaching and jointly curating a vibrant community of learners.
Reimagining what data training looks like
The 13-week virtual CAN training is far from traditional. Structured around modular content, it blends core data skills such as data collection, cleaning, stewardship, ethics, and visualization, with more advanced material like machine learning, climate-health data analysis, and building locally hosted large language models (LLMs).
But what truly sets it apart is its learner-centered approach. Participants are encouraged to bring their own questions, explore locally relevant use cases, and co-create solutions that are practical and sustainable. This emphasis on agency, relevance, and systems thinking also reflects OpenUp’s philosophy on scaling data skills, which is elaborated on in this article.
CAN learners don’t just gain new technical skills. They learn to think critically about how data is gathered and used in their contexts. They gain the confidence to engage with decision-makers and the networks to carry their work forward.
To deepen the experience, the Global Partnership and OpenUp hosted two in-person Data Narratives workshops in Cape Town in 2024 and Accra in 2025. These gatherings helped participants sharpen their storytelling skills and learn how to turn a spreadsheet into a powerful call for action.
A growing network for climate-health impact
The CAN model doesn’t end with the training. Many participants go on to apply what they’ve learned in real-world projects through the CAN Fellowship, embedding in government agencies, civil society organizations, or research institutions for six months. These fellowships offer the opportunity to ground new data capabilities in institutional processes and long-term partnerships.
What continues to make CAN unique is its intentional focus on building not just individual capacity but collective power. The initiative fosters a collaborative, cross-border community that connects public sector analysts with grassroots advocates, academic researchers with tech entrepreneurs, creating a web of people and institutions working to advance climate and health solutions across Africa.
More than a moment, it’s a movement
CAN isn’t just a training program. It’s a growing ecosystem of African data professionals who are reshaping how we understand, communicate, and act on the climate and health challenges of our time.
As the Global Partnership continues to lead this work in Africa, the goal remains the same: to make data capacity a driver of justice, equity, and resilience. Because when data training is done right with purpose, context, and community at its core, it becomes a catalyst for lasting change.
