Burden by Degrees: From Health Impact Data to Climate Justice and Action
Year: 2026
Type: other
Abstract: The health dimension of climate-related losses and damages (L&D) remains largely under-quantified and therefore insufficiently represented in adaptation policies and financing mechanisms. This statistical invisibility prevents an accurate understanding of the true health burden of climate change and limits the capacity of vulnerable countries to claim adequate support, compensation, and adaptation resources. Furthermore, such data on climate-attributable burden of disease can be important evidence for the more than 2,600 climate litigations currently underway, both by individuals and by countries in the Global South. Meanwhile, an epidemiological transition is profoundly reshaping health systems across the Global South. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) — cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and mental — are rising sharply in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), adding to the persistent burden of infectious diseases. Climate change acts as a threat multiplier, worsening this double burden through increased heat exposure, air pollution, food insecurity, and water stress, while deepening existing social and territorial health inequities.Organised as a Side event in the Blue Zone of COP30 in Bélem, Brazil, on November 18, 2025 , this interdisciplinary panel offered a unique opportunity to bring together (on site and remotely) leading experts from Africa, Europe and international organizations, to present an innovative, data-driven framework for quantifying the climate-change-attributable burden of disease (ccBoD) built on the 65+ health cohorts in Africa and Asia, dubbed HDSS (Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems). The team expanded the exclusive focus on counting deaths to expand it to capturing the entire burden of disease from climate change. This required adding a continuous system to register all disease episodes within the population under health surveillance. Further it is required to implement low-cost weather stations which continuously measure heat, humidity and rainfall in synchrony with the survey information on diseases.Building on the momentum of the “Dakar Call for Action on Climate and Health in Africa”, which underscores the urgent need to strengthen data, research, and financing for climate–health adaptation across the continent, the panel explores how ccBoD can serve as an operational indicator to inform national adaptation strategies, support L&D claims, and promote equitable access to climate and health financing. Discussions bridged together epidemiological evidence with legal, financial, and governance mechanisms, highlighting how health data can be systematically integrated into climate negotiations, dedicated funds, and litigation processes. Case studies from Sub-Saharan Africa illustrated how climate-ready health systems, digital innovations (such as AI-enabled chatbots), and legal frameworks can transform ccBoD evidence into actionable levers for justice, prevention, and resilience.
Source: HAL
Institutions: Institut de physique du globe de Paris, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris, Paris Cardiovascular Research Center, Centre des Politiques de la Terre, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre d'études Européennes de Sciences Po, University Hospital Heidelberg, World Health Organization, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7159548218