Mainstreaming climate adaptation planning and action into health systems in Fiji, Ghana, and Benin

This paper shares case studies from Fiji, Ghana, and Benin, three countries making progress with mainstreaming climate change adaptation into planning and implementation in health systems. Climate change is impacting human health and straining heavily burdened health services everywhere. Recognition of the linkages between climate change and health systems, such as shifts in vector-borne diseases and decreased access to services, is growing, yet many countries are still struggling both to mainstream, or integrate, climate adaptation into their health plans and to implement activities on the ground. 

This paper provides a number of recommendations from the case studies discussed, including: 

• Enough information on climate-sensitive health risks exists to adopt critical no-regrets adaptation measures now to strengthen health care systems.
• Policymakers can seize on the political moment created by the global pandemic to strengthen their countries’ abilities to respond to a range of other shocks and stressors—including the linked challenges of human health and climate change.
• Governments should establish policy frameworks and collaboration mechanisms to provide needed guidance and support to mainstream climate adaptation into the health sector.