Exploring the Impacts of Climate Change on Health Infrastructure and Systems

Climate change presents a profound threat to human health, affecting all aspects of both natural and human systems, including social and economic systems that sustain physical and mental well-being, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Climate change acts as a threat multiplier, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities, disrupting ecosystems, straining healthcare systems and potentially reversing decades of progress in public health.

Areeba Ramzan | Marta Simonetti

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Introduction

Currently, an estimated 3.6 billion people reside in areas highly vulnerable to climate change, many of whom are in low-income countries where the harshest health impacts are felt. WHO reports that in the past decade, death rates from extreme weather events in these vulnerable regions were 15 times higher than in less vulnerable areas.Climate-sensitive health risks disproportionately affect those who are already disadvantaged and vulnerable, including women, children, ethnic minorities, low-income communities, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.The United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF) highlights that the climate crisis is deeply affecting children, ‘robbing them of their ability to grow healthy and happy, and can ultimately cause illness, disease and even death’.

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As global temperatures rise, the compounding effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident, with more frequent and severe climate-related disasters, including extreme heat, storms, floods, droughts and wildfires. These hazards have both direct and indirect consequences on human health, resulting in increased mortality, spread of infectious and communicable diseases as well as an overall surge in health emergencies. As an added layer, climate change also has a significant impact on health infrastructure and workforces, reducing the capacity of health systems to deliver universal health coverage.

Climate change affects health in several ways:

·     Climate change heightens waterborne and foodborne disease risks: WHO estimates that 2 billion people lack safe drinking water and 600 million suffer from foodborne illnesses annually.

·     It exacerbates food and nutrition crises by affecting food availability, quality and diversity. For example, in 2021, 828million people were affected by hunger, mostly in African and Asian countries.

·     Enhances the spread of vector-borne, waterborne and food-borne diseases through temperature and precipitation changes.

·     Induces immediate mental health issues and long-term disorders, such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress.

·     Increasing prominence of heat-related deaths

·     Can result in poor air quality, which can worsen asthma and other respiratory conditions.  

·     Undermines access to healthcare and social support systems.

Seeking solutions

Several international institutions, such as multilateral development banks and international NGOs, have scaled up their financing to support climate-health investments. This support translates into technical capacity assignments and investment to strengthen countries’ health systems to predict, detect, prepare and respond to climate risks and disasters, transition health systems to low-carbon, high-quality service delivery and address the root causes of climate change and its impacts on health by working across sectors.

At Globalfields, we recognise the urgent need for stronger, climate-resilient health systems. We have played a pivotal role in developing and securing funding for projects that strengthen health infrastructure in vulnerable regions and build resilience. One such initiative includes the ‘Strengthening Climate Resilience of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) Health System project’, launched by the Lao Ministry of Health in 2021. 

Lao PDR faces projections of temperature increases of 2-3 degrees Celsius by 2050 and 10–30% increases in rainfall alongside changing seasonal patterns. These shifts pose threats to healthcare systems and health infrastructure – especially water, sanitation, and hygiene services (WASH) as well as, driving an increase in climate-related diseases such as dengue and diarrhoea. As a result, Globalfields were contracted by Save the Children Laos to design the project’s funding proposal for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), making the first-ever GCF-funded climate and health initiative. This step underscores the critical importance of structuring urgent action to mobilise financial and technical support for the most affected countries and regions, allowing them to adapt and build resilience to compounding climate risks and minimise the potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change on global health.

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