Strengthening Climate Resilient Health Systems: a call for collective action

Date: 26 October 2023

Time: 9:00 – 11:00 EST

Location: Contadora IV, Marriott Panama Hotel, Panama City

This is an official Track 4 Event of the Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week 2023. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified climate change as the single biggest health threat facing humanity. As the challenges escalate, we are seeing this crisis unfold in many ways – increasingly frequent and more intense extreme weather events such as storms, floods, heat waves. These extreme climate events are too often accompanied by increases in vector-, water-, and foodborne diseases overwhelming health systems, spikes in respiratory infections and noncommunicable diseases, disruptions to food systems, and mental and psychological health issues.

Extreme weather events such as storms, hurricanes and floods can damage healthcare infrastructure and disrupt delivery and access to healthcare and service delivery when they are most essential: in situations of emergency.

This session will provide a platform to discuss the situation in countries, challenges, solutions, and recommendations related to climate change impacts on health and wellness. The opportunity is afforded for a recommitment to regional solidarity within LAC to individually and collectively strengthen actions to better protect our health, that of future and unborn generations, as well as the health of our planet.