Climate Resilient Health Systems (CRHS)
Climate change not only has direct impacts on human health (e.g., through injuries and illness from extreme weather events) but also threatens the capacity of health systems to manage and protect population health (e.g., through the vulnerability and reliability of infrastructure or critical services). Health systems should therefore be increasingly strengthened so that they continue to be efficient and responsive to improve population health in an unstable and changing climate.
This area of work has a specific focus on building climate resilience and adaptation in health systems. This work is to respond to health impacts and threats of climate change: present, emerging, and future. This thematic area primarily focuses on the first commitment area of the COP26 Health Programme:
ATACH helps countries meet their commitments to CRHS through objectives that include:
- Identify existing technical knowledge and tools for conducting climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments (V&As) and developing health components of national adaptation plans (HNAPs) and make it available to Member States and ATACH partners.
- Identify, disseminate, strengthen and advocate for evidence and knowledge on key topics related to climate resilient health systems (e.g., health impacts from climate change, technologies for climate resilient health systems and facilities and opportunities to promote low carbon sustainability, and effectiveness of interventions).
- Identify and disseminate lessons and best practice from country and partner experiences, and support learning.
- Identify country needs to implement their CRHS commitments and facilitate access to technical support.
- Facilitate access by the health sector to climate change funding for health and ensure health sector's capacity to develop project proposals on climate change and health is effectively strengthened.
Related
Key resources
WHO Country Support on Climate Change and Health - Visual Guide
This visual guide provides an overview of the climate change and health technical support package offered by WHO to member states to advance climate-resilient health. It is structured around the process for building climate-resilient health and presents the tools, resources, and assistance that are available.
Categories: Access to climate change funding for health, Climate change & health Vulnerability & Adaptation Assessments, Health National Adaptation Plans, Guidance document, Tools, Global, Climate Resilient Health Systems
Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessments: A Knowledge to Action Resource Guide
This guide offers tools and guidance for conducting vulnerability and adaptation assessments (V&A) in Canada. It includes assessment guidance tools and completed Canadian study examples. It is a useful resource for others conducting a climate change and health V&A assessment.
Categories: Climate change & health Vulnerability & Adaptation Assessments, Health National Adaptation Plans, Guidance document, Tools, Global, Americas (Pan American Health Organization), Climate Resilient Health Systems