Nature-based solutions (NBS) have potential to reduce hazard from infectious disease through filtering water, mitigating flooding and reducing urban temperatures. Local actors participating in project workshops were particularly interested in applying green streets and rainwater harvesting in Bharatpur.

Strengthening solid waste management is recommended as a priority action to reduce hazard from dengue, by increasing collection frequency and ensuring city-wide provision of municipal collection services. Improving piped water supply to peri-urban areas is recommended as a priority action to improve hygiene, reduce skin infections and address critical health inequities among vulnerable populations.

The study emphasizes that to improve public health outcomes from infectious disease, NBS cannot substitute for basic urban infrastructure and services.

Incubation and bio-innovation platforms such as BioInnovate Africa are pivotal in forging links among key actors and getting innovations to market and making a development impact.

The short funding cycles of many bilateral aid and public R&D programs, which often emphasize immediate tangible results, are not well aligned with the longer timelines required for innovation processes.

Upscaling and commercialization present challenges to bio-based health R&D and innovation in most parts of Africa.

Lack of capital and funding is a major barrier for all innovation systems in East Africa.

SEI experts, using Cesar, Colombia as an example, advise diversifying a local economy with more sustainable sectors and production techniques to avoid the same pitfalls of relying on fossil fuels such as coal.