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. 2024 Jul 29;24(1):2015.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-19459-w.

Health systems response to climate change adaptation: a scoping review of global evidence

Edward Wilson Ansah  1 , Mustapha Amoadu  2 , Paul Obeng  1 , Jacob Owusu Sarfo  1
Affiliations

Health systems response to climate change adaptation: a scoping review of global evidence

Edward Wilson Ansah et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: The health system plays a critical role in safeguarding the well-being of communities in the face of health risks associated with climate change. This review maps evidence on health systems' adaptation to climate risk and barriers to effective adaptation.

Methods: This review followed the recommendations by Arksey and O'Malley for conducting scoping review. Search for records was conducted in PubMed, Central, Web of Science, JSTOR, Google, and Google Scholar. Only peer-reviewed papers published in English language were included in this review. All the 63 included studies were critically appraise d.

Results: We found that efforts are being made to create resilient health systems by incorporating climate change into health policies. Investments are being made in innovative technologies, climate-resilient health infrastructure, enhancing healthcare delivery, developing the capacity of climate specialists and agencies to provide high-quality evidence for resilient health systems. We also found that several obstacles prevent health system adaptation to climate risk, including poor policy implementation and evaluation. The obstacles are further exacerbated by financial constraints, including poverty, a lack of political commitment, inadequate data, and deficient healthcare systems, especially in developing countries. There is also a lack of integration of climate change into mental health actions and the health and safety of healthcare workers.

Conclusion: Efforts to develop resilient health systems against climate risks are underway, but persistent obstacles, including inadequate policy implementation, resource limitations, and a lack of integration of climate change into critical health domains, hinder comprehensive adaptation measures, particularly in developing nations.

Keywords: Adaptation; Barriers; Climate change; Health systems resilience; Review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram of search results and screening process
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Countries where reviewed studies were conducted
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Weights assigned to themes generated from the included studies
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Barriers to health system adaptation to climate change
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Recommendations for building resilient health systems
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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