Carbon pollution increases health inequities: lessons in resilience from the most vulnerable

Ebi, Kristie L.; Fawcett, Stephen B.; Spiegel, Jerry; Tovalin, Horacio

Carbon pollution increases health inequities: lessons in resilience from the most vulnerable
La contaminación por carbono empeora las inequidades sanitarias: enseñanzas de los más vulnerables sobre la capacidad de recuperación

Cite

Ebi, K. L., Fawcett, S. B., Spiegel, J., & Tovalin, H. (2016). Carbon pollution increases health inequities: lessons in resilience from the most vulnerable [Journal articles]. https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/31234

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v40n3a6-181-85.pdf (1.57 MB)

Date

2016

Authors

Ebi, Kristie L.
Fawcett, Stephen B.
Spiegel, Jerry
Tovalin, Horacio

Description

Climate change is a social justice as well as an environmental issue. The magnitude and pattern of changes in weather and climate variables are creating differential exposures, vulnerabilities, and health risks that increase stress on health systems while exacerbating existing and creating new health inequities. Examples from national and local health adaptation projects highlight that developing partnerships across sectors and levels are critical for building climate- resilient health systems and communities. Strengthening current and implementing new health interventions, such as using environmental information to develop early warning systems, can be effective in protecting the most vulnerable. However, not all projected risks of climate change can be avoided by climate policies and programs, so health system strengthening is also critical. Applying a health inequity lens can reduce current vulnerabilities while building resilience to longer-term climate change. Taking inequities into account is critical if societies are to effectively prepare for and manage the challenges ahead.

El cambio climático es un asunto no solo ambiental, sino también de justicia social. La magnitud y naturaleza de los cambios observados en las variables de tiempo meteorológico y clima están llevando a exposiciones, vulnerabilidades y riesgos de salud diferenciales que incrementan la sobrecarga de los sistemas de salud y exacerban las inequidades sanitarias existentes, a la vez que generan nuevas inequidades. Los proyectos nacionales y locales de adaptación al cambio climático para proteger la salud humana ponen de manifiesto que la creación de alianzas entre diferentes sectores y en distintos niveles es fundamental para lograr que haya sistemas de salud y comunidades capaces de recuperarse de los efectos del clima. El fortalecimiento de las intervenciones de salud en curso y la aplicación de nuevas intervenciones, tales como el uso de información de tipo ambiental para crear sistemas de alerta temprana, pueden ser eficaces para proteger a los grupos más vulnerables. Sin embargo, no todos los riesgos previstos en relación con el cambio climático pueden evitarse por medio de políticas y programas climáticos, de manera que el fortalecimiento de los sistemas de salud también es fundamental. La aplicación de una óptica de inequidad sanitaria puede reducir las vulnerabilidades actuales y al mismo tiempo crear capacidad de recuperación frente a los efectos del cambio climático a más largo plazo. Si las sociedades han de prepararse para los retos que se avecinan y hacerles frente de una manera eficaz, es imprescindible que se tengan en cuenta las inequidades.

Citation

Ebi KL, Fawcett SB, Spiegel J, Tovalin H. Carbon pollution increases health inequities: lessons in resilience from the most vulnerable. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2016;40(3):181–85

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Pan American Journal of Public Health

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