A pandemic like COVID-19 has exposed the evident bottlenecks of our vulnerable world. The full feeling of a pandemic of this nature has shaken the Indo Pacific Region in more than one way with cross-sectoral impact. Nevertheless, extreme weather events induced by climate change has been creeping across nations which is straining health systems like never before. The fingerprints of global warming are creating a nexus not easily matched where natural disasters, climate change and its impact on human health is converging so rapidly, that it forces all policies and global frameworks to be revisited from a risk informed planning perspective. The approach and urgency that COVID-19 presented, now is magnified by a deeper sense of urgency that climate change presents which continues to not just sacrifice vulnerable populations under the context of disasters alone, but also in terms of damaging critical public health infrastructure and creating a watershed moment for community development and sustainable initiatives.
With increasing frequency and intensity of climatological events, and more category 4 and 5 storms, heavy rainfalls, new normal of record breaks in temperatures, the climate – disaster – health nexus is only going to increase presenting with challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and deeply affecting at-risk populations. Cascading risk emerging through convergence of natural disasters, climate change and health systems being impacted with COVID-19 like pandemics presents a strange situation for humanity at large. This calls for a fresh analysis of our present preparedness where new algorithms force nations to think of risk informed planning differently as they prepare for a post COVID-19 world.
The convergence of natural hazards along with biological hazards have presented a sizeable shift in social, economic and environmental determinants of health in the Asia Pacific Region. This is further exacerbated with rapidly proliferating climatic conditions and a COVID-19 pandemic where human suffering and the after-effects will be felt over the coming years. The gains of the last 50 years for public health stands immediately threatened due to extreme weather events and their frequency increasing each day, disrupting the well -being of communities and the foundations on which health systems are built.
It is estimated over the next 5 years that considerable investment in terms of social, financial and political will is necessary to protect at -risk populations and health systems from the worst effects of COVID-19, to safely restructure and restart local and national economies, to rebuild in ways which prepare for future public health shocks. In the Indo-Pacific Region, South Asia will face the full force of this cascading risk as conflicting challenges continue to surround the landscape. With one in ten South Asians living below the international poverty line, the region has struggled with developmental priorities in public health, poverty alleviation and public policy.
The spread of a pandemic coupled with mitigative action and adaptive response to avert climate crisis has puzzled nations with conflicting priorities. The attention given to the pandemic has been unparalled with regards the limited and isolated attention being given to the nexus of climate change, disasters and human health risk.
Policy makers working on sustainability remain detached to the emerging and re-emerging realities revolving around climate crisis and human health where civilizational level growth is driving the divide disproportionately. To leverage on the missed opportunities and yet plug cascading risks emerging through this nexus, it is extremely necessary to mainstream a public health in all policies approach to secure a meaningful and resilient future for the Indo Pacific Region.
Public health as an agenda has grown to prominence in the last two decades and is likely to define the present and future risk-scape without any hint of doubt. Prudence suggests that a public health in all policies may do well for the Asia Pacific Region to address adaptation gap with regards to extreme weather events, to mainstream risk informed planning with a health inclusive approach and to prepare for future risks that will worsen the gaps if not addressed immediately. This will enable nations to comfortably arrive at addressing risks that affect and interrupt in the developmental processes.
Essential public health services affected due to natural disasters or due to pandemics or epidemics have economic downturns and overwhelms health systems leading to devastating consequences in LMICs countries in the Indo Pacific region especially in weaker health systems, less staffed hospitals and nations with conflicting priorities where public health gets throwaway budgets. Dissecting the relation between natural disasters and human health outcomes becomes important to understand and adapt towards a cursory thought for sustainable solutions.
The needs of a warming planet will need to be matched equally by global frameworks that mainstream and address the cascading risks and nexus between the triplet concern emerging from climate change and natural disasters and human health consequences due to public health impact. Traditionally, the human health consequences of climate change has been viewed from a perspective of merely adaptation alone and to some extent for disease outbreaks during extreme weather events. In a post COVID-19 world, this needs to rapidly change where frameworks are retrofitted to deliver risk informed planning at the heart of human development.
Dr. Edmond Fernandes is the CEO, CHD Group, India Country Office & Honorary Director - Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health
