STORY-TRÅD·industri

Brazil launches plan for health emergencies caused by climate change

Brazil has developed a response and preparedness plan for public health emergencies linked to El Niño for 2026–2027 dubbed AdaptaSUS. The plan comes as part of a wider federal initiative to address climate change, put together by 25 ministries with contributions from society and the business sector. Guidelines stress that the impacts of climate change on human health are becoming increasingly evident. Notícias relacionadas:Effects of climate emergency on the ocean worry researchers.WHO director-general: Brazil is a global model for health care.El Niño: Drought hit 38% of Amazon’s inhabited areas in 2024.“The main risk to health and healthcare services stemming from climate change is a potential increase in the incidence of disease and deaths, and in the demand for health services,” the text says. The document was presented by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday (Aug. 26) at an assembly of the National Council of Health Secretaries in Brasília. The ministry points out that climate change requires integrated responses that are sensitive to inequalities and guided by climate justice and equity, since communities facing socio-environmental vulnerabilities are disproportionately affected. The plan The initiative aims to establish strategies at the federal level within Brazil’s national healthcare network, the SUS, in order to reduce the impacts of climate change on people’s health and on health services, and to define guidelines for states and cities. Preparation efforts are based on the creation on situation rooms for federal and internal governance; the provision of emergency pharmaceutical assistance resources and kits; the deployment of the SUS National Force, with regional bases capable of dispatching teams within 48 hours; and the implementation of technical protocols according to the needs of each of the six Brazilian biomes. In the medium term, the initiative sets forth 27 goals and 93 actions to be implemented by 2035. Among the actions related to water security in areas prone to drought and dry spells, the National Health Foundation procured 18,800 cisterns in 397 municipalities across seven states, with BRL 226.6 million allocated to sanitation improvement. Tools The strategy calls for the integration of the Ministry of Health’s official systems used for the early detection, reporting, monitoring, and investigation of outbreaks and other public health issues in Brazil. Some of the tools used for climate monitoring focus on heat stress and populations exposed to air pollutants, and involve the National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring and Alerts. AdaptaSUS also relies on Health and Climate Information Centers – a pilot project implemented in eight cities across Brazil’s five regions. In the Amazon, preparedness measures also include organizing the healthcare network and the infrastructure available to serve populations in hard-to-reach areas, including healthcare teams and riverine primary healthcare units. The plan stipulates that the Ministry of Health also establish a panel of experts on climate and health, tasked with providing technical advice on decisions related to preparedness and response to the impacts of climate events. In Brazil, the El Niño climate phenomenon is classified as “strong” through 2027 and could reach the “very strong” level as early as September this year - ASA Risks and effects The health risks posed by climate change include deaths, injuries, an increase in diseases, disruptions to healthcare services, destruction of infrastructure, and even public health emergencies. Among the main direct health effects are: diseases associated with temperature extremes; diseases caused by inadequate access to water, sanitation, and hygiene; vector-borne diseases and zoonoses; respiratory diseases; diseases associated with air pollution; injuries and deaths caused by extreme weather events; malnutrition and noncommunicable diseases, as well as mental and psycho-social health issues. In addition to changes in disease patterns, climate change can also impact the healthcare system by increasing demand for healthcare services, triggering public health emergencies, and compromising or disrupting service delivery at healthcare facilities. In Brazil, the El Niño climate phenomenon is classified as “strong” through 2027 and could reach the “very strong” level as early as September this year - Lauro Alves/Secom El Niño In Brazil, the El Niño climate phenomenon is classified as “strong” through 2027 and could reach the “very strong” level as early as September this year. The critical window is expected to occur sometime between October of this year and March 2027. The effects of the phenomenon vary by region: drought, dry spells, and wildfires in the North and Central-West; worsening drought and heat in the Northeast; more erratic weather, with heat waves and thunderstorms in the Southeast; and heavy rains, with a risk of flooding, in the South.