Climate-resilient Health Systems Research Articles

Promoting climate-resilient health systems through national surgical plans

Promoting climate-resilient health systems through national surgical plans

Sustainability in Participatory Health: Applying WHO's Operational Framework.

The World Health Organization's Operational Framework for Climate Resilient and Low Carbon Health Systems outlines 10 broad components for the development and maintenance of health systems that respond effectively to climate-related challenges. This work analyses the WHO framework from a participatory health informatics perspective and identifies specific initiatives involving non-professionals that align with the framework. Citizen and patient participation in the development of climate-resilient health systems is not only possible but also necessary to maximize climate resiliency at the community and global levels.

Building green and climate-resilient healthcare facilities in Uttarakhand: A step for a sustainable climate resilient healthcare

Climate change presents significant risks to human health, with healthcare facilities increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather, floods, droughts, and climate-sensitive diseases. This study examines the development of Green and Climate-Resilient Healthcare Facilities in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, through multi-sectoral collaboration. Key interventions include energy audits, LED lighting, solar panel installation, and rainwater harvesting, aimed at enhancing sustainability and resilience. The initiative demonstrates the importance of proactive adaptation measures and sustainable practices in healthcare infrastructure, providing a model for other regions to ensure continuous, high-quality care amid escalating climate threats. This approach underscores the critical need for innovation, collaboration, and commitment in building climate-resilient health systems.

Knowledge towards the health impacts of climate change and associated factors among undergraduate health sciences students in Amhara region: a multi-centered study

BackgroundIncreased knowledge about the health impacts of climate change would motivate health students and health professionals to adopt sustainable healthcare practices, design climate-centered health programs, help build climate-resilient health systems, and ultimately contribute to the global effort of mitigating climate change.MethodAn Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among Universities in the Amhara region. A total of 616 undergraduate health science students were included from three Universities. A validated, self-administered structured questionnaire was used. Data were analyzed using STATA™ version 14.0. A Logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with the health impacts of climate change. A P-value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.ResultOnly 48.5% (95% CI: 44.6, 52.4) of students had good knowledge regarding the health impacts of climate change. Sex of the student—male (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.032, 2.023), University (AOR = 0.534, 95% CI: 0.360, 0.792), and Department—comprehensive Nursing, (AOR = 0.264, 95% CI: 0.117, 0.592), Midwifery (AOR = 0.201, 95% CI: 0.085, 0.476), and Medical Laboratory (AOR = 0.151, 95% CI: 0.055, 0.413) were significantly associated factors.ConclusionThe knowledge of the health impacts of climate change among health science students was low. Sex, University, and Department were the associated factors. Hence, undergraduate health science programs should incorporate at least the fundamental details of climate change. Universities should also develop and use a harmonized curriculum.

Promoting transdisciplinary collaboration in academia: uniting for climate-resilient health

In a world where some regions are directly experiencing the effects of the climate change, while others are more vulnerable; this article dives into the deep and frequently catastrophic impact of the climate change on vulnerable countries. This review emphasizes the need for transdisciplinary academic collaboration, including social scientists, healthcare professionals, engineers, policy experts, and climate scientists, and underscores academia’s potential role in advancing climate-resilient health systems in these areas. The study promotes inclusive research that prioritizes at-risk groups, involves communities, and supports culturally sensible methodologies. Beyond their traditional tasks, academia has an obligation for action, learning, innovation, and change. To address the complex health concerns brought on by the planetary crisis, collaboration across academic fields and in tandem with communities, governments, and international organizations is crucial. Ongoing collaboration between academia, governments, and stakeholders is crucial to developing healthcare systems and technologies that are climate resilient. The complex role of academia involves developing pioneering solutions in healthcare for a sustainable future, advocating for policies based on evidence, and educating the next generation of professionals.

Climate finance opportunities for health and health systems.

Climate change poses significant risks to health and health systems, with the greatest impacts in low- and middle-income countries - which are least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. The Conference of Parties 28 at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference led to agreement on the need for holistic and equitable financing approaches to address the climate and health crisis. This paper provides an overview of existing climate finance mechanisms - that is, multilateral funds, voluntary market-based mechanisms, taxes, microlevies and adaptive social protection. We discuss these approaches' potential use to promote health, generate additional health sector resources and enhance health system sustainability and resilience, and also explore implementation challenges. We suggest that public health practitioners, policy-makers and researchers seize the opportunity to leverage climate funding for better health and sustainable, climate-resilient health systems. Emphasizing the wider benefits of investing in health for the economy can help prioritize health within climate finance initiatives. Meaningful progress will require the global community acknowledging the underlying political economy challenges that have so far limited the potential of climate finance to address health goals. To address these challenges, we need to restructure financing institutions to empower communities at the frontline of the climate and health crisis and ensure their needs are met. Efforts from global and national level stakeholders should focus on mobilizing a wide range of funding sources, prioritizing co-design and accessibility of financing arrangements. These stakeholders should also invest in rigorous monitoring and evaluation of initiatives to ensure relevant health and well-being outcomes are addressed.

The Impact of Climate Change on Health Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematised Review and Thematic Analysis.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of climate change on health services as categorized by the WHO's Building Blocks for creating Climate-Resilient Health Systems. Objective: The objective was to conduct a systematized review of the published literature concerning the impact of climate change, using a thematic analysis approach to address our aim and identify areas for further research. Design: A search was conducted on 8 February 2022 using the Embase and PubMed research databases. Peer-reviewed scientific studies that were published in English from 2012 to 2022, which described at least one report concerning the impact of climate change on health services in LMICs, were included. Studies were organized based on their key characteristics, which included the date of publication, objective, method, limitations, participants, and geographical focus. The Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Results: Twenty-three studies were included in this review. Five areas of health services which align with the WHO building blocks framework were impacted by climate change. These health service areas included: (1) Service Delivery, (2) Human Resources, (3) Health Finance, (4) Healthcare Products and Technology, and (5) Leadership and Governance. However, research concerning the impact of climate change on health information systems, which is part of the WHO building blocks framework, did not feature in our study. The climatic effects were divided into three themes: meteorological effects, extreme weather events, and general. The research in this study found that climate change had a detrimental impact on a variety of health services, with service delivery being the most frequently reported. The risk of bias varied greatly between studies. Conclusions: Climate change has negatively impacted health services in a variety of different ways, and without further actions, this problem is likely to worsen. The WHO building blocks have provided a useful lens through which to review health services. We built an aligned framework to describe our findings and to support future climate change impact assessments in this area. We propose that further research concerning the impact of climate change on health information systems would be valuable, as well as further education and responsible policy changes to help build resilience in health services affected by climate change.

Developing Climate Change Adaptation Plans for the Health Sector at the Subnational Level

Climate change impacts represent threats to the population worldwide, and the health sector which is responsible for taking care of their life and health will also be impacted. While the consequences of these impacts are imminent, little or nothing has been done by the health sector at national and subnational levels worldwide to prepare to respond to them. Therefore, health adaptation planning in regard to climate change is crucial to building climate-resilient health systems. This research aims to propose an approach containing phases and steps for developing a Health Adaptation Plan at a subnational level. The methodology involved the collection and analysis of several guidelines and tools provided by the WHO and other relevant organisations. This is supplemented by analysis of existing Health Adaptation Plans at national and subnational levels developed in different governmental organisations and systems worldwide since 2003. The findings included four phases and twelve steps for developing Health Adaptation Plans at subnational-level organisations in the health sector. The s establishes guidance for subnational organisations within the health sector that are planning to develop a Health Adaptation Plan.

Africa’s path to climate-resilient health systems

Africa’s path to climate-resilient health systems

Nigeria’s Public Health Response to Infectious Diseases in the Wake of Climate-Related Emergencies.

Infectious disease outbreaks remain a significant public health challenge worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Over the past few decades, the number and intensity of these outbreaks have been worsened by climate change because increased temperatures, changes in precipitation, and extreme weather conditions promote disease transmission. This paper explores the effect of climate change on infectious diseases in Nigeria with special reference to malaria, cholera, and Lassa fever from the year 2014 to 2023. Nigeria’s susceptibility to climate shocks combined with a weak health care system makes it a good example of how climate change affects the health of people in the developing world. By integrating historical information and climate information, this study shows how climate factors including floods, droughts and high temperatures have led to the spread of infectious diseases. This work confirms that climate change phenomena affect the availability and distribution of rainfall that, in turn, has resulted in the expansion of durations and breeding grounds for vectors such as mosquitoes and other disease-carrying organisms hence increasing vector borne diseases such as malaria. Furthermore, floods have been known to contaminate water sources hence frequent incidence of water borne diseases such as cholera. The study also evaluates the extent of these outbreaks across the regions, with North-eastern Nigeria having the highest burden because of climate-induced displacement and disrupted water sources. However, the problems of poor funding, poor disease surveillance, and poor access to health care especially in the rural areas have remained a major challenge in Nigeria’s public health system in its efforts to contain these climate related health disasters. The findings therefore call for the implementation of climate-health policies and sustainable development planning to address the increasing risks of climate sensitive diseases in Nigeria. Given the increasing impacts of climate change on health systems globally, the results of this study underscore the need to develop climate-resilient health systems especially in the developing world sub-Saharan Africa.

The Urgency of Climate-Resilient Health Systems in Pakistan: Lessons From the 2022 Floods.

The Urgency of Climate-Resilient Health Systems in Pakistan: Lessons From the 2022 Floods.

The Double Burden: Climate Change Challenges for Health Systems.

Climate change presents significant challenges to human health and health systems, and there is a critical need for health systems to adapt and become more resilient in order to effectively mediate the impacts of climate change on population health. This paper analyzes existing academic literature to identify key themes, trends, and research gaps at the intersection of climate change and health systems. Utilizing a scoping review of 179 studies, we explore how health systems can enhance their resilience through effective governance, sustainable financing, resource generation, and adaptive service delivery. Our findings emphasize the importance of integrating climate considerations into health system governance, mobilizing innovative financial resources, and adapting infrastructure and workforce capacities to address climate-related health challenges. The study highlights the need for continued interdisciplinary research and targeted interventions to ensure health systems are equipped to promote equity and protect vulnerable populations in the face of climate change. These insights contribute to the development of climate-resilient health systems and identify crucial areas for future research.

Adaptation of health systems to climate change-related infectious disease outbreaks in the ASEAN: Protocol for a scoping review of national and regional policies.

The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states (AMS) are among the countries most at risk to the impacts of climate change on health and outbreaks being a major hotspot of emerging infectious diseases. To map the current policies and programs on the climate change adaptation in the ASEAN health systems, with particular focus on policies related to infectious diseases control. This is a scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Literature search will be conducted on the ASEAN Secretariat website, government websites, Google, and six research databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Embase, World Health Organization (WHO) Institutional Repository Information Sharing (IRIS), and Google Scholar). The article screening will be based on specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Policy analysis will be conducted in accordance with the WHO operational framework on climate-resilient health systems. Findings will be analyzed in the form of narrative report. The reporting of this scoping review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Ethical approval is not required for this study as this is a scoping review protocol. Findings from this study will be disseminated through electronic channels.

Climate change and disability: a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) perspective

Climate change phenomena, such as droughts, floods, heat waves, hurricanes, and wildfires, have a deleterious effect on nature and the health of the people, especially on vulnerable population cohorts, such as persons with disabilities (PwD). PwD are disproportionately affected by the health effects of climate change and experience a greater burden due to various physiological, socio-economic and health-related factors. Rehabilitation professionals as trusted care providers/educators have an integral role in global efforts to educate, advocate and protect vulnerable people from the adverse impact of climate change. They are in a distinctive position as they are experts in understanding the complex medical, physiological and psychosocial needs of PwD. Although the impact of climate change on health is widely documented, the literature on the effect of climatic factors on PwD is sparse. Further, specific rehabilitation and disability-inclusive climate action plans are yet to be developed and/or implemented globally. As the climate-change-related health burdens continue to grow the critical importance of rehabilitation services is apparent. The challenge ahead is to build a structured people-centered approach to building rehabilitation-inclusive climate-resilient health systems to improve the adaptive capacity and resilience of the most susceptible people with distinct healthcare needs.

Public Health Preparedness for Extreme Heat Events.

Heat is a dangerous hazard that causes acute heat illness, chronic disease exacerbations, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and a range of injuries. Risks are highest during extreme heat events (EHEs), which challenge the capacity of health systems and other critical infrastructure. EHEs are becoming more frequent and severe, and climate change is driving an increasing proportion of heat-related mortality, necessitating more investment in health protection. Climate-resilient health systems are better positioned for EHEs, and EHE preparedness is a form of disaster risk reduction. Preparedness activities commonly take the form of heat action plans (HAPs), with many examples at various administrative scales. HAP activities can be divided into primary prevention, most important in the pre-event phase; secondary prevention, key to risk reduction early in an EHE; and tertiary prevention, important later in the event phase. After-action reports and other postevent evaluation activities are central to adaptive management of this climate-sensitive hazard. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 44 is April 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

The COP26 health commitments: A springboard towards environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient health care systems?

• Climate change necessitates urgent adaptation and mitigation, including in health systems. • The World Health Organization co-launched the COP26 Health Programme as a platform for national commitments. • Over 50 countries committed to environmentally sustainable and/or climate-resilient health systems. • National health policies should reflect a contextual balance between mitigation and adaptation. • These policies must recognize mitigation and adaptation interlinkages, combine bottom-up and top-down approaches and be based on evidence.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to climate change and its health aspects among the healthcare workforce in India – A cross-sectional study

Climate change is one of the greatest global health challenges of the 21st Century. India is especially vulnerable to climate change due to its geographic location, climate-sensitive livelihoods and prevalent health concerns. In that context, the healthcare workforce plays a critical role in addressing climate change and its health effects. While some initiatives are underway to equip the healthcare workforce in India, their understanding and interest to engage with this challenge was unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to climate change and health among the healthcare workforce in India (i.e., community health workers, doctors, etc.). A structured questionnaire was administered to participants between October and December 2020. The collected data ( n = 3062) were analyzed descriptively. We found that although knowledge about climate change and its immediate health effects due to exposure to heat (80.9%), cold (79.2%) and disease vectors (79.1%) were prevalent among the respondents, awareness about the delayed or indirect health effects such as malnutrition was relatively low (58.4%). Several participants reported an interest to learn more about climate change, for instance, about linkages between infectious disease outbreaks and climate change (72.7%), and the role of health professionals in creating awareness on climate change (43.9%). While additional research is needed to understand the roles and motivations of various healthcare actors to address these challenges, our findings are encouraging towards further interventions in this area. Our study also provided insights on the preferences regarding the communication media and material on climate change and health by the healthcare workforce. There is a need to enable climate-resilient health systems in India and in other countries that are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change, and studies such as this one can help in that direction.

Effect on the health of newborns caused by extreme temperature in Guangzhou

By using 64,270 daily observations from a large hospital in Guangzhou between 2017 and 2019, we analyzed the impact of extreme temperature on the health of newborns via OLS regression with time fixed effect. Given that the short-term temperature change can be regarded as exogenous and random, solving the potential endogenous problem is critical. We find that extreme temperature negatively affects the health of newborns. The Apgar score, an index for evaluating neonatal health, decreases by 0.008 (0.029%) when the duration of extreme temperature events increases by a day. A series of robustness checks verify the reliability of this negative effect. Extreme temperature also has a particularly serious effect on the health of newborns whose mothers have poor education. By gradually extending the observation period, we find that the effect of extreme temperature on neonatal health is mainly concentrated 1–6 weeks before delivery, whereas the effect of extreme temperature on hospitalization cost is mainly concentrated 4–8 weeks before delivery. This paper provides a valuable reference for evaluating the health and social costs of extreme weather, and our findings are conducive to the construction of climate-resilient health systems, especially in Guangzhou.

Redesigning Kidney Care for the Anthropocene: A New Framework for Planetary Health in Nephrology.

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to human health in the 21st century. The human health impacts of climate change contribute to approximately 1 in 4 deaths worldwide. Health care itself is responsible for approximately 5% of annual global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Canada is a recent signatory of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) health agreement that is committed to developing low carbon and climate resilient health systems. Kidney care services have a substantial environmental impact and there is opportunity for the kidney care community to climate align clinical care. We introduce a framework of redesigned kidney care and describe examples of low carbon kidney disease management strategies to expand our duty of care to the environment which completes the triple bottom line of optimal patient outcomes and cost effectiveness in the Anthropocene.

COP26 AND HEALTH: SOME PROGRESS, BUT TOO SLOW AND NOT ENOUGH

COP26 AND HEALTH: SOME PROGRESS, BUT TOO SLOW AND NOT ENOUGH