Volume 22, Issue 4 (July-August 2023)
Payesh 2023, 22(4): 479-482 |
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Mosadeghrad A M, Shahsavani A. Strengthening the resilience of Iran's health system against climate change. Payesh 2023; 22 (4) :479-482
URL: http://payeshjournal.ir/article-1-2124-en.html
URL: http://payeshjournal.ir/article-1-2124-en.html
1- Department of Health management, policy and economics, School of public health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Environmental health engineering, School of health and safety, Air quality and climate change research centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Environmental health engineering, School of health and safety, Air quality and climate change research centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (1500 Views)
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.
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.
Subject:
Letter to editor
Received: 2023/04/14 | Accepted: 2023/04/17 | ePublished ahead of print: 2023/06/18 | Published: 2023/07/10
Received: 2023/04/14 | Accepted: 2023/04/17 | ePublished ahead of print: 2023/06/18 | Published: 2023/07/10
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