The Ecosystem of Climate X Health Solutions
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This piece is the second article in our 4-part series on “Demystifying the Climate-Health Intersection”. The first article, which describes a framework to understand the health impact of climate change can be accessed here.
A few months ago, we wrote about our approach towards building an understanding of how climate change impacts health. Our next step was to move into a less grim space and to start looking at solutions. We were mainly curious about:
(1), what does the ecosystem of solutions (for the Climate X Health challenge) look like,
(2), who are the earliest movers in this ecosystem, and?
(3) what are the biggest gaps and missed opportunities?
In this article, we attempt to answer the first of these questions: what do solutions for adverse health impact of climate change look like?
Everyone interested in the climate change space knows about “mitigation” vs “adaption” (we also defined the terms in our first article), but here is quick revisit:
Mitigation refers to all the actions we take to cut greenhouse gas emissions; so mitigation actions in healthcare consist of reducing emissions from healthcare industry. Such actions, it is understood, will reduce the number and intensity of climate shocks and long term climate change, and therefore, reduce how severely the climate change will impact human health in the near future.
Adaption, on the other hand, starts from the acknowledgement that climate change is already affecting human health adversely. It consists of actions we take to strategies to minimize the health risks from the heatwaves, floods, and disease outbreaks linked to climate change.
At our early stage of understanding, it appears that a large majority of the efforts currently being made in the Climate X Health intersection are focusing on adaptation. More specifically, the focus is on adapting health systems to better respond to the increasingly complex effects of climate change. Policymakers, investors, practitioners, and researchers around the world are identifying opportunities to integrate climate considerations into health systems, especially in areas that have traditionally received less attention or funding.
We identified four prominent entry points that are being focused on for making health systems more resilient in the face of climate instability.? These are – (1) Policy and planning support, (2) Investments in systems, (3) Investments in determinants of health, and (4) Evidence building, collaboration, and advocacy.
1. Policy and Planning Support
National (and subnational) adaptation plans. Many countries are now building (and in some cases, updating) “Climate Adaptation Plans” under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The goal is to incorporate climate-related health considerations into climate action plans at multiple levels (countries, states, districts) to ensure that healthcare systems are prepared to withstand climate shocks but also to have the capacity to recognise and address effects of long-term climate changes.
Financial accessibility. Economic shocks are known to force vulnerable populations to deprioritize healthcare. Policymakers and funders are addressing this risk by promoting subsidies or free services for essential health interventions during crises caused by climate change.
2. Investments in Systems
Resilient supply chains. Extreme weather events like flooding can (and do) very quickly interrupt the flow of vital medications and supplies. Rising temperatures threaten the bio-effectiveness of drugs and diagnostics. There is significant work going on to address supply chain breakdowns and to develop robust supply chains - through product distributions, alternative delivery routes, strategic stockpiling, or decentralized production – as well as through the development of temperature resilient products and cold chain equipment.
Self-care products. And expansion in at-home diagnostic kits or other self-care tools is being considered as the lever to lessen the burden on strained health facilities during times of crisis and free up the limited clinical capacity for urgent cases.
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Capacity building and other strategies for health workers. Training and mentorship for community-level health workers (CHW) is possibly one of the most effective strategies to strengthen local healthcare systems’ climate resilience. Efforts are being made to educate frontline workers in emergency preparedness and management of climate-related diseases. Climate change is presenting CHWs with new challenges that impedes them from carrying out their usual roles (e.g., hotter days affect ability to reach community). Some organizations are addressing this by adapting work schedules.
Telemedicine and digital solutions. During emergencies or in resource-constrained areas, telemedicine platforms are filling gaps in care and reduce the workload on local staff and make care accessible when in-person visits are difficult.
Crisis-appropriate, migrant-friendly health services. In climate-induced displacement settings — such as refugee camps or communities recovering from natural disasters — health services are being redefined and adapted to the culture and logistic requirements of the displaced populations.
Early warning systems. Robust surveillance networks can alert communities to impending storms, heatwaves, or other hazards. Innovative warning systems are being tested which cam allow health facilities and local authorities to mobilize resources—such as safe water, cooling centers, or emergency medical teams—in a timely manner, i.e., before a crisis peaks.
3. Investments in Determinants of Health
Clean water initiatives. Various investments are ongoing to address compromised water sources during climate crises. These include disaster resilient toilets, new filtration technology and well-designed water supply systems that can withstand flood conditions.
Nutritional support. Climate change affects agricultural output and food distribution, leading to malnutrition or micronutrient deficiencies. National and subnational administrations are working on climate resilient crops, fortified food staples and nutrition education to offset seasonal or climate-induced shortages.
Cleaner cooking and heating solutions. Indoor air pollution from traditional cooking methods continues to cause significant harm respiratory health (especially in women) in various regions. Investments are being in targeted education and transition to cleaner stoves and fuels.
4. Evidence Building, Collaboration, and Advocacy
Establishing Focused Collaboratives. Collaboration across governments, NGOs, research institutions and the private sector accelerates innovation. Dedicated climate–health collaboratives are pooling resources, sharing expertise, and coordinating interventions at a larger scale.
Filling Evidence Gaps. While certain aspects of climate–health research (e.g., heat stress, vector-borne diseases) have received considerable attention, other domains require more data to guide decision-making. Research is ongoing to measure the direct and indirect health impacts of climate change, to design and test targeted interventions and to inform funding priorities.
There are two caveats to note:
One, while all of this is promising and induces hope, it is not enough. In fact, for a large majority of the solutions we describe above, we found only 2-3 ongoing examples and they rarely work at scale. Therefore, we encourage you to see them not only as solutions, but also as opportunities.
Two, our team built this ecosystem of solutions by a process of sifting through and reading about 200 publications. Therefore, it is by no means a comprehensive summary of the solutions being designed and tested. Our hope is to provide you with an indicative picture of this ecosystem. We would love to hear from you – what are some types of solutions we missed?
Coming up next week:
Who are the early movers leading the solutions listed above?
and,
What are biggest missed opportunities?
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