Editing IPCC:AR6/WGII/Chapter-12 (section)

==== 12.5.6.1 Climate Services for Health ====

<div id="h3-51-siblings" class="h3-siblings"></div>

The measures most directly linked to diminishing risk are those related to climate services for health ( ''high confidence'' ). Climate services provide tailored, sector-specific information from climate forecasts to support decision-making ( [[#WHO%20and%20WMO--2016|WHO and WMO, 2016]] ); they allow decision makers and practitioners to plan interventions in anticipation of a weather/climate event ( [[#Mahon--2019|Mahon et al., 2019]] ). More recently, climate services, such as EWSs and forecast models, have been promoted for the health sector ( [[#WHO%20and%20WMO--2012|WHO and WMO, 2012]] , 2016; [[#WMO--2014|WMO, 2014]] ; [[#Thomson--2018|Thomson and Mason, 2018]] ) and are an important adaptation measure to reduce the impacts of climate on health ( ''high confidence'' ). To guide this process, the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) issued a Health Exemplar ( [[#Lowe--2014|Lowe et al., 2014]] ; [[#WMO--2014|WMO, 2014]] ), which aims to foster stakeholder engagement between health and climate actors at all levels to promote the effective use of climate information within health research, policy and practice.

There exist at least 24 EWS in SA to avoid deaths and injuries from floods in the countries such as Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela ( [[#Bravo--2010|Bravo et al., 2010]] ; [[#Bidegain--2014|Bidegain, 2014]] ; [[#Moreno--2014|Moreno et al., 2014]] ; [[#Dávila--2016|Dávila, 2016]] ; [[#del%20Granado--2016|del Granado et al., 2016]] ; [[#López-García--2017|López-García et al., 2017]] ; [[#Carrizo%20Sineiro--2018|Carrizo Sineiro et al., 2018]] ). A total of 149 emergency prevention and response systems are reported in CA ( [[#UNESCO--2012|UNESCO, 2012]] ). In addition, some countries implement programmes for the relocation of families who are in risk condition, like in Bogota and Medellin, Colombia ( [[#World%20Bank--2014|World Bank, 2014]] ; [[#Watanabe--2015|Watanabe, 2015]] ).

Epidemic forecast tools are an example of an adaptation measure being developed and/or implemented in this region ( ''high confidence'' ). Climate-driven forecast models have been developed for dengue in Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Colombia ( [[#Lowe--2013|Lowe et al., 2013]] ; [[#Eastin--2014|Eastin et al., 2014]] ; [[#Johansson--2016|Johansson et al., 2016]] ; [[#Lowe--2017|Lowe et al., 2017]] ; [[#Johansson--2019|Johansson et al., 2019]] ); for Zika virus infections across the Americas ( [[#Muñoz--2017|Muñoz et al., 2017]] ); for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Costa Rica and Brazil ( [[#Chaves--2006|Chaves and Pascual, 2006]] ; [[#Lewnard--2014|Lewnard et al., 2014]] ); for Aedes-borne diseases across the Americas ( [[#Muñoz--2020b|Muñoz et al., 2020b]] ); and a nowcast model for chikungunya virus infections across the Americas ( [[#Johansson--2014|Johansson et al., 2014]] ). In Ecuador, a prototype system utilised forecasts of seasonal climate and ENSO forecasts of to predict dengue transmission, providing the health sector with warnings of increased transmission several months ahead of time ( [[#Stewart-Ibarra--2013|Stewart-Ibarra and Lowe, 2013]] ; [[#Lowe--2017|Lowe et al., 2017]] ). Despite these advances, few tools have become operational and mainstreamed in decision making processes. However, Brazil and Panama have been able to operationalise an EWS for the surveillance of dengue fever transmission ( [[#Codeço--2016|Codeço et al., 2016]] ; [[#McDonald--2016|McDonald et al., 2016]] ).

One of the most promising climate services for the health sector are heat and cold early-warning and alert systems ( ''medium confidence'' ). These have been developed by the national meteorological institutes in Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay ( [[#Bidegain--2014|Bidegain, 2014]] ). A heat alert system was implemented in Argentina in 2017 and daily alerts are issued for 57 localities across the country. A stoplight colour scheme is used to issue alerts, identifying specific groups at risk and actions to be taken to reduce the risk ( [[#Herrera--2018b|Herrera et al., 2018b]] ).

The public dissemination of climate–health warnings via bulletins, websites and other outlets can be an adaptation measure to address climate change and weather variability to reduce health risks ( ''high confidence'' ). The information produced is systematised to be communicated to authorities and the general public. The Caribbean Health-Climatic Bulletin has been issued quarterly since 2018 to health ministries across the region, including CA and NSA. Regional climate and health authorities meet to review 3-month climate forecasts and issue statements about the probable impacts on health ( [[#Trotman--2018|Trotman et al., 2018]] ). In Panama, information on dengue is distributed in a monthly bulletin that is used by health authorities to inform vector control activities ( [[#McDonald--2016|McDonald et al., 2016]] ). Another example is the climate-driven forecast of dengue risk that was produced prior to Brazil’s 2014 FIFA World Cup to inform disease prevention interventions ( [[#Lowe--2014|Lowe et al., 2014]] , 2016). In Colombia, the Intersectoral National Technical Commission for Environmental Health publishes a monthly bulletin with regional weather forecasts and potential effects on health ( [[#CONASA--2019|CONASA, 2019]] ). Paraguay improves epidemiological surveillance and trains first-level health staff via information campaigns on the prevention of climate-sensitive diseases and promotes health networks with the participation of civil society ( [[#Environmental%20Secretariat%20of%20Paraguay--2011|Environmental Secretariat of Paraguay, 2011]] ).

<div id="12.5.6.2" class="h3-container"></div>

<span id="integrated-climatehealth-surveillance-and-observatories"></span>