Continuous monitoring of climate-related health risks and vulnerabilities along with health service capacity are essential to track trends. The Ministry of Health, within its role of a monitoring body, has been collecting data for the Samoan context on the trends in health outcomes and health service needs. This will allow the Health sector to anticipate on outbreaks and emergencies related to climatic conditions.
Broad objectives for climate-health adaptation include the following:
- Strengthen the capacity of health sector to improve risk management and response to disasters, emergencies and climate change;
- Ensure that health concerns are addressed in decisions in other sectors to reduce risks from climate change, and;
- Increase public awareness of the health consequences of climate change.