Four actions to incorporate climate and health care into policy

Climate change has exacerbated weather hazards and health risks, driving the need for climate-resilient health systems. Effective adaptation strategies, innovative technologies, and sustainable financing are essential for safeguarding vulnerable populations and maintaining care.

Climate-fueled weather hazards have grown more severe, frequent, and widespread, reaching unprecedented levels in 2024. The health risks associated with climate change have also escalated.

As the urgent need to tackle climate and health comes into sharper focus and frameworks to support adaptation processes in the health sector increase, evidence of real-world implementation experience remains limited. Governments grappling with how to effectively respond to current and future health impacts of climate change in this complex, ever-changing environment face several critical questions.

A climate-resilient health system is one that is prepared to mitigate, withstand, adapt to, and bounce back from climate shock. Climate resilience in the health sector is particularly important for maintaining continuity of care during climate-related health stresses and shocks, and for protecting vulnerable populations (such as the poor, women, children, the elderly), who are disproportionately affected by climate hazards and have the least adaptive capacity.

A climate-resilient health system relies on having a well-trained, climate-prepared health workforce that is equipped to deal with climate risk and shocks, and can promote awareness and education about climate-related health risks within communities and develop climate-informed health programs. Crucially, a climate-resilient health system can utilize climate data (such as integrating meteorological data into health information systems) and climate-informed health warning systems to save more lives.

For example, early warning systems for extreme weather events have been tested and developed for effectiveness, helping communities, health responders, and civil administrators better prepare, respond, and become resilient to climate shocks.

Similarly, heat mapping has been shown to be an effective means of helping governments identify those most vulnerable to extreme heat and develop clear measures to help them stay safe, thereby improving their adaptive and resilience capabilities.

Technology and digital health innovations (such as through telemedicine, mobile health) hold significant opportunity to enhance climate resiliency in the health sector by delivering timely, accessible, and sustainable solutions and ensuring continuity of services during climate-induced disasters.

Climate-resilient health systems also take advantage of sustainable technologies, infrastructure that can withstand climate shocks and regulatory standards for green technologies and green bio-waste management.

Health National Adaptation Plans, which provide a diagnostic of health system vulnerabilities along with a plan of action to reduce them, enhance adaptation measures, and minimize health impacts from climate change, should be aligned with National Adaptation Plans. These plans are key to developing and sustainably financing climate-resilient health systems and should be prioritized by governments.

We must step up now and help governments to build adaptation and resilience in the health sector and protect their populations from climate change, especially for those already facing the harshest impacts.

The following actions should be taken to prioritize climate-resilient health system development:

Champion advocacy to accelerate climate and health action. Governments challenged with multiple priorities may not immediately see the value in making climate and health investments. Public health and climate leaders are well-positioned to engage with governments to establish and strengthen the links between climate, health, and sustainable development goals.

Build a solid evidence base to inform and prioritize resilient health systems. This includes detailed analyses and localized evidence on the climate and health action stratified by varying environmental, socioeconomic, and political realities. A package of investible, best-buy interventions can help governments prioritize actions according to their specific contexts, align climate and health goals, and mobilize financing.

Mobilize novel financing sources for climate and health solutions. Despite 25% of the global disease burden being linked to environmental risk factors, merely 0.5% of multilateral climate finance goes to health. Multilateral development banks, philanthropies, other donors, and Ministries of Finance must work together to address fragmented financing for climate and health.

Spur climate and health innovation through locally-led, inclusive interventions. Climate and health action that is inclusive and equity-oriented can help support such solutions, incubating and driving forward best practices that adhere to local priorities and empower communities. (e.g., community-driven early warning and resilience systems). Governments can promote the development and deployment of climate-resilient practices by signaling priorities and fostering an enabling regulatory environment for innovators, research and development institutions, and the private sector.

In a year of unprecedented and rapidly intensifying weather extremes, the call to action is clear. We must step up now and help governments to build adaptation and resilience in the health sector and protect their populations from climate change, especially for those already facing the harshest impacts.

Donors, multilateral development banks, private sector, and civil society must also act quickly and together, strengthening cooperation and shared understanding of the most effective interventions to build climate-resilient and sustainable health systems.

This offers a roadmap to creating healthier, safe, and more equitable societies now and securing our survival in the future.

This blog post is part of a series by the Asian Development Bank that explores how climate and health action can be incorporated into policy and practice, in line with the five high-level principles of ADB's Climate and Health Initiative. which was launched at COP28 in December 2023. Nansu Isadahl, Aastha Arora, Karan Thakur, and Vanshica Kant provided their expertise and input to this blog post.