Worldwide, 21 million people could lose their lives by 2050 as a result of climate change, making it the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century.
Colombia, with its diverse geography and marked health inequalities, is most vulnerable to this impact. In response to this urgency, the World Bank collaborated with the Colombian government on a comprehensive analysis of the implications of climate change on the country's health and health systems.
The report examines heat-related illness and mortality, the effects of extreme weather events such as earthquakes, landslides and floods on health infrastructure and populations, as well as the interaction between biodiversity and health in the context of climate change. Despite the growing risks, the report identifies actionable opportunities such as strengthening health infrastructure and environmental health surveillance systems, and presents a roadmap for adaptation and mitigation adapted to the Colombian reality.
This website is a knowledge hub for practitioners and researchers, providing valuable insights to inform strategic actions to protect human health and healthcare systems from the adverse effects of climate change. For example, it will allow specialists to see with territorial granularity the degree of vulnerability of health facilities or the burden of disease associated with climate.
The executive summary and full report provide detailed analytical tools and outline an action plan for Colombia.
In this blog we share the main key findings and their implications, and the interactive panel above shows the exposure and risk at the subnational level for the population and health infrastructure in the country. You may find it helpful to refer to the interactive map available on this website.
All of these useful tools are made available to guide the creation or improvement of effective and timely responses based on solid data to the impact of climate change on health and health care systems in Colombia.
