Abstract
Climate change poses a range of current and future health risks that health professionals need to understand, track, and manage. However, conventional monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as practiced in the health sector, including the use of indicators, does not adequately serve this purpose. Improved indicators are needed in three broad categories: (1) vulnerability and exposure to climate-related hazards; (2) current impacts and projected risks; and (3) adaptation processes and health system resilience. These indicators are needed at the population level and at the health systems level (including clinical care and public health). Selected indicators must be sensitive, valid, and useful. And they must account for uncertainties about the magnitude and pattern of climate change; the broad range of upstream drivers of climate-sensitive health outcomes; and the complexities of adaptation itself, including institutional learning and knowledge management to inform iterative risk management. Barriers and constraints to implementing such indicators must be addressed, and lessons learned need to be added to the evidence base. This paper describes an approach to climate and health indicators, including characteristics of the indicators, implementation, and research needs.
Highlights
Health adaptation indicators for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (M&E) are needed to track the health impacts of climate change, and efforts to adapt and build resilience
Due to inherent uncertainties and long-term trends, a significant element of climate change adaptation relates to institutional learning and knowledge management to facilitate iterative risk management, in which information regarding changing hazards associated with climate change is continuously integrated into processes that prepare for and manage health risks over time [3,4,5]
Evidence of adverse health impacts attributable to climate change on health is growing [30] and further increases in climate-sensitive disease burden are projected, some of which can be reduced with additional adaptation policies and programs [24]
Summary
Health adaptation indicators for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (M&E) are needed to track the health impacts of climate change, and efforts to adapt and build resilience. Due to inherent uncertainties and long-term trends, a significant element of climate change adaptation relates to institutional learning and knowledge management to facilitate iterative risk management, in which information regarding changing hazards associated with climate change is continuously integrated into processes that prepare for and manage health risks over time [3,4,5] Given this wide range of challenges, standard indicators for climate-sensitive health outcomes will not adequately capture the processes of changing risks, adaptation effectiveness, and resilience. With modifications to account for the differences between climate change and other exposures, following an evidence-based public health approach and applying the principles and approaches of implementation science would support climate change adaptation by identifying the most effective interventions to protect health and well-being in a changing climate, supplementing current approaches [10] Many of these steps can be used to develop indicators. While the health sector is not responsible for developing or monitoring these indicators, they are relevant to core service provision and should be a part of a comprehensive package of climate-related indicators
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
