Payesh (Aug 2023)
Strengthening the resilience of Iran\'s health system against climate change
Abstract
Dear Editor, Climate change is one of the most important challenges of the current century. High temperatures, ice melting, sea level rise, floods, droughts and wildfires are the consequences of climate change. Climate change affects human health directly by changing weather patterns (extreme heat, floods, hurricanes, storms and droughts) and indirectly by changing the quality of water, air and food. Climate change increases the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases; food, water and vector borne illnesses; infectious diseases, injuries and premature deaths. Iran is very vulnerable to climate change due to its geographical location, dry and semi-arid weather conditions (80%) and economic structure. Iran's health system is facing the double challenge of dealing with the human impacts of climate change and reducing its significant contribution to the country's carbon footprint. As a result, the country's health system should be adaptive and resilient to climate change to decrease vulnerability and increase adaptive capacity and ensure continued health services. Therefore, Ministry of Health should formulate national strategic and operational plans to strengthen the adaptability and resilience of the country's health system to climate change. Such plans provide a roadmap for healthcare policymakers, managers and employees to protect and improve people's health in unstable and changing weather conditions.
