Health Equity in Climate Change and Health Policies: A Systematic Review

Khanal, Sudeepa; Ramadani, Lira; Boeckmann, Melanie

doi:10.3390/su151310653

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 37 publications

(136 reference statements)

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“…The components related to government, such as its policies, interests, and relationship with other states, are determining factors of health as a policy outcome at the national, regional, and international levels [92]. Additionally, climate change, population increase and disasters, both natural and man-made, are complex issues that impact geopolitical factors, which in turn affect health [93]. Thus, there is a need for attention to the state's internal and external vulnerabilities while analysing the patterns of aid extended to the states in need.…”

Section: Challenges and Way Forward For Health Diplomacy In Conflict ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Diplomacy as a Tool to Build Resilient Health Systems in Conflict Settings—A Case of Sudan

Pattanshetty,

Bhatt,

Inamdar

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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Attacks on health have become a significant concern for non-belligerents of war, including healthcare personnel and facilities, as witnessed in the ongoing Sudan conflict. About 1.5 billion people in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS) have a heightened need for essential health services. Conflicts often lead to the disruption of the building blocks of health systems, a lack of access to health facilities, the failure of essential medical supply chains, the collapse of political, social and economic systems, the migration of health care workers, and upsurges in illness. While health indicators often decline in conflict, health can also bring peace and harmony among communities. An investment in building resilient health systems and health diplomacy is a neutral starting point for mitigating the repercussions of conflicts. The international commitment towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides the impetus to emphasise the relationship between health and peace with the amalgamation of SDG 3, SDG 16, and SDG 17. The inspection of how health diplomacy should be used as a ‘tool for peace’ and not as leverage in conflict settings must be reiterated by the international community.

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Section: Challenges and Way Forward For Health Diplomacy In Conflict ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Diplomacy as a Tool to Build Resilient Health Systems in Conflict Settings—A Case of Sudan

Pattanshetty,

Bhatt,

Inamdar

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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A systematic review of the inequality of health burdens related to climate change

Song,

Zhang,

Huang

et al. 2024

Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.

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Climate change significantly impacts human health, exacerbating existing health inequalities and creating new ones. This study addresses the lack of systematic review in this area by analyzing 2440 publications, focusing on four key terms: health, disparities, environmental factors, and climate change. Strict inclusion criteria limited the selection to English-language, peer-reviewed articles related to climate health hazards, ensuring the relevance and rigor of the synthesized studies. This process synthesized 65 relevant studies. Our investigation revealed that recent research, predominantly from developed countries, has broadened its scope beyond temperature-related impacts to encompass diverse climate hazards, including droughts, extreme weather, floods, mental health issues, and the intersecting effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019. Research has highlighted exposure as the most studied element in the causal chain of climate change-related health inequalities, followed by adaptive capability and inherent sensitivity. The most significant vulnerabilities were observed among populations with low socioeconomic status, ethnic minorities, and women. The study further reveals research biases and methodological limitations, such as the paucity of attention to underdeveloped regions, a narrow focus on non-temperature-related hazards, challenges in attributing climate change effects, and a deficit of large-scale empirical studies. The findings call for more innovative research approaches and a holistic integration of physical, socio-political, and economic dimensions to enrich climate-health discourse and inform equitable policy-making.

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Sector silos in climate action- A missed opportunity to prioritize health equity

Khanal,

Bolte,

Boeckmann

2024

PLOS Clim

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Climate change poses a global challenge with severe adverse implications for human health [1]. The biggest burden of climate change disproportionately affects disadvantaged populations; both globally, such as inhabitants of small-island states or megacities, poor populations or displaced populations, as well as within countries, for instance people living in heat-prone urban areas, outdoor workers, people with chronic conditions, or pregnant women. This leads to diverse socioeconomic challenges and exacerbates global inequities in health. There is a scientific consensus that health equity and climate change are interconnected issues, and promoting health equity is crucial for effective climate action [2].The past few decades have seen increased interest in the intersection of climate change and health [3]. The health effects of climate change often appear to be at the forefront in international forums and discussions, demonstrating that both governments and international organizations recognize the urgency of addressing this global challenge. There also seems to be a shared understanding of the necessity for coordinated and collaborative policy efforts to address climate change for equitable health outcomes. The recent COP28 lifted the political profile of the climate-health nexus and to mainstream health into the global climate change agenda. COP28 has established a climate health ministry and dedicated a full day to health to bring together ministers of health, environment, climate, finance and other sectors in support of more ambitious action to address the rapidly growing burden of climate change on health [4].However, a deeper look at current research presents a different narrative. There appears to be a significant research gap with respect to health equity inclusion in the context of climate change policymaking. Even where the policy studies on climate change have touched upon equity concerns, health equity in particular falls behind gender equity, racial equity and social justice, although these are all connected. Furthermore, we lack analytical frameworks guiding the examination of barriers to integrate health into climate-related adaptation [5]. It is not clear whether this research gap is due to limited empirical documentation of efforts to understand the integration of health equity into climate change policies or if such efforts are, indeed, lacking. However, inadequate research in this area also implies that health equity has not received significant attention in the response to climate change raising questions regarding the commitment, knowledge, and demand from policymakers to address this growing threat. A possible entry point could be via efforts to achieve (more) climate justice, as has been suggested for the German context [6].It has been argued that in the constantly evolving landscape of climate change and health equity, the need for integrated policies is paramount. Policies across different sectors related to

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Health Equity in Climate Change and Health Policies: A Systematic Review

Cited by 3 publications

References 37 publications

Health Diplomacy as a Tool to Build Resilient Health Systems in Conflict Settings—A Case of Sudan

Health Diplomacy as a Tool to Build Resilient Health Systems in Conflict Settings—A Case of Sudan

A systematic review of the inequality of health burdens related to climate change

Sector silos in climate action- A missed opportunity to prioritize health equity

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