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Why Climate Resilience is the New Frontier for Global Health?

  • Writer: Manish Jain
    Manish Jain
  • Nov 1
  • 3 min read

“Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity.” – World Health Organization, 2021

 

The Silent Amplifier of Every Health Crisis


Public health professionals have spent decades battling epidemics, slashing infant mortality, and closing equity gaps. Today, climate change - driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions - is the invisible multiplier, making every challenge harder, deadlier, and more expensive, worldwide.


With just 1.1°C (2 degrees F) of warming, we’re already witnessing:



And that’s before we hit 1.5°C.


The Domino Effect on Global Health


Climate change is associated with events like heat waves, heavy downpours, hurricanes, rising sea levels, worsening air quality, and population migration.

Warmer temperatures expand mosquito habitats, pushing vector borne diseases like malaria and dengue into new regions—like higher altitudes in South Asia and Africa. Air pollution, worsened by wildfires and fossil fuel emissions, compounds respiratory diseases, with economic losses from health productivity dipping into trillions, if unchecked.

Indirect effects like disrupted food systems fuel malnutrition, while extreme weather displaces populations, spiking waterborne illnesses and mental health burdens.


Climate Driver

Health Impact

Real-World Example

Heatwaves

↑ Cardiovascular deaths, kidney failure

India: 2024 heatwave killed >100 and caused 40,000+ suspected heat strokes (Politico Pro)

Floods & Storms

↑ Cholera and other water borne diseases, trauma

Nepal: 2024 monsoon floods killed 244 people and severely disrupted transportation (UNDRR)

Droughts

↑ Malnutrition, stunting

East Africa: 124 million more food-insecure in 2023 Lancet Countdown

Vector Shift

↑ Malaria, dengue in new regions

Nepal: 9,836 malaria cases since 1988 in 13 mountain districts — once malaria-free (The Kathmandu Post)

Wildfires & Air Pollution

↑ Asthma, COPD, preterm births

Australia: 2019-20 bushfire smoke killed 445 and hospitalized thousands (The Guardian)

What Is Climate Resilience for Global Health?


The capacity of health systems, communities, and populations to anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and recover from climate shocks — while maintaining or improving health outcomes, and preserving equity and essential health functions.

— Adapted from WHO (2024), IPCC AR6 (2022), and Lancet Countdown 2025


The 4 Pillars of Resilience


Pillar

What It Means

Action Example

Anticipate

Predict risks using data

Climate-informed disease forecasting

Absorb

Stay functional during crisis

Solar-powered vaccine fridges during blackouts

Adapt

Evolve systems long-term

Flood-proof health posts in monsoon zones

Advance

Bounce back stronger

Post-disaster mental health + catch-up vaccination drives

Why This Is the New Frontier for Public Health?

Ignoring climate risks means undoing decades of progress—especially in LMICs, where infrastructure buckles under overwhelmed emergency services and strained primary care

 

Old Paradigm

New Reality

Disease-specific silos

Systemic, climate-integrated planning

Reactive outbreaks

Proactive, predictive resilience

One-size-fits-all

Locally tailored, equity-driven

Health as cost center

Resilience as investment - saves $7 for every $1 spent (US Chamber of Commerce)

 

Success Stories: Resilience in Action


  • Nepal’s Himalayas: $2.5M investment in ice-lined refrigerators and solar deep freezers slashed vaccine waste from 25% to near-zero — powering cold chains through blackouts and treacherous treks. [Gavi Vaccines Work]

  • Bangladesh’s Floodplains: elevated health posts, boat ambulances, and solar water systems cut post-flood disruptions from weeks to days, keeping maternal care alive in chaos. 

  • Rwanda’s Hills: 60,000+ community health workers with climate-smart training, SMS alerts, and solar-charged tablets for real-time monitoring reduced heat-related clinic visits by 30% in pilot districts. [Lancet Planetary Health, 2025]

 

Call to Action


Climate-resilient healthcare isn't an add-on—it's the evolution

It‘s not just environmental — it's a core to global health strategy

It’s not a luxury—it's an investment.

 

5-Step Plan 


  1. Integrate Climate Data into Surveillance for real-time risk mapping

  2. Build Green, Resilient Infrastructure (solar, flood-proof, ventilated).

  3. Train the Frontline and Equip them with climate-health toolkits (heat action, vector control).

  4. Advocate for Climate Finance with Health Co-Benefit

  5. Measure What Matters - heat vulnerability, food insecurity, health system readiness.

 

References

  1. Romanello, M. et al. (2025). Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. lancetcountdown.org

  2. World Resources Institute. (2023). IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report. wri.org 

  3. The Guardian. (2025). Rising heat kills one person a minute. theguardian.com 

  4. Ripple, W. J. et al. (2025). 2025 State of the Climate Report. BioScience. doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf149

  5. WHO. (2024). Operational Framework for Climate Resilient Health Systems. who.int

 
 
 

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