Topic Summary

The ECOWAS committee on Climate Change and Global Health Systems will explore the complex and increasingly urgent relationship between environmental change and public health across West Africa. Delegates will examine how climate-driven challenges—including rising temperatures, extreme weather events, desertification, and shifting disease patterns—place strain on already vulnerable health systems in the region. The committee will also consider disparities in healthcare access, infrastructure limitations, and the role of regional coordination in strengthening resilience. Particular attention will be given to the spread of climate-sensitive diseases, food and water insecurity, and the need for early-warning and response mechanisms. Beyond immediate health impacts, delegates will engage with questions of economic capacity, governance, and international support, assessing how ECOWAS can foster collective action among member states. Ultimately, this committee will challenge delegates to develop innovative, cooperative solutions that address both the root causes and far-reaching consequences of climate change on public health systems.

Director’s Letter

Dear Delegates,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Economic Commission of West African States on Climate Change and Global Health Systems! My name is Martina Jaramillo, and I am honored to serve as your Co-Director for HNMUN Boston 2027. This topic lies at the intersection of climate policy, global health systems, and regional collaboration, and I look forward to seeing how you engage with it through both analytical rigor and creative, thoughtful problem-solving!

A little about me: I am currently a sophomore at Harvard University studying Economics and Government. I was born in Italy, am half Ecuadorian, and grew up primarily in Miami, Florida, but I now live in Leverett House! My academic interests center on climate governance, sustainable food systems, and development, and I conduct research at MIT and the Harvard Kennedy School on climate policy for drought adaptation in West Africa, as well as on how governance structures shape food security. Alongside this, I work with the Harvard Public Opinion Project, contributing to the United States’ largest youth public opinion poll, and am involved with Harvard Undergraduate Consulting on Business and the Environment. Outside of academics, I love exploring new cafés and bookstores, learning photography, collecting postcards from my travels, and searching for the best dessert spots in every new city I visit!

While I did not have extensive Model UN experience in high school, joining Harvard’s International Relations Council introduced me to the collaborative and intellectually engaging environment that defines HNMUN, and since then I have had the opportunity to serve as an Assistant Director for both HMUN and HNMUN Boston 2026, as well as direct the African Union committee at HMUN Australia 2026. This past summer, I also interned at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva, where I engaged with issues of sustainable economic growth and gained firsthand insight into international policymaking processes that I am excited to bring into this committee!

Again, I am very much looking forward to meeting all of you and hearing your perspectives. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out with any questions about the background guide, committee procedure, or simply to introduce yourself!

Sincerely,

Martina Jaramillo

Director, ECOWAS

ecosoc@hnmun.org

Director’s LetteR

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to the 2027 session of the Harvard National Model United Nations conference, where I hope you find a multitude of experiences and memories you can cherish for years to come! It is my pleasure to serve as your Director for the Economic Community of West African States, where we will be taking a closer look at the impact of climate change on the existing healthcare infrastructure and, ultimately, the well-being of our people.

My name is Pranathi Ganti, a junior at the College living in Cabot House. I am studying Neuroscience with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy and a citation in Spanish. I first joined the Model UN team my freshman year of college and immediately found myself surrounded by some of the most fun, vibrant people on campus. I have loved traveling all across the states, meeting new individuals, and honestly just having a great time competing on the circuit. As both a GA and Crisis delegate, I hope that my experience can be valuable to you all!

In my free time, you can definitely catch me doom scrolling without end, reading thrillers that may give me nightmares, and making horrible yet endlessly funny dad jokes! I am excited to meet you all and hope you feel comfortable reaching out anytime for any questions or concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

Pranathi Ganti

Director, Economic Community of West African States

ecosoc@hnmun.org