Healthcare in a Changing Climate 2025

Health system recovery can be supported by life sciences treatment and innovative climate services To enable health systems to recover and function after climate shocks, alternative care delivery approaches such as telemedicine and mobile health units124 can be implemented to establish dynamic front-line locations and deploy workers to deliver care during and after crises. The health system could also benefit from adapting to the shifting disease landscape. Re-tasking non- physicians and investing in targeted clinician training are important strategies for expanding capacity during the recovery phase, particularly in mental health, where resources are often constrained. Training programmes could focus on equipping healthcare workers to handle the shifting burden of disease in different regions, through education in the most effective treatments for various crisis scenarios, as well as preparing them for resource shortages and the need to triage core operations that may be in greater demand during recovery. Supporting workforce well-being is a key part of sustaining health system recovery. By providing mental health resources and offering flexible work options, health systems can help clinicians manage stress and continue delivering care during crises. Cross-system collaboration125 and resource-sharing across industries can enhance readiness126 and ensure a coordinated response when governmental interventions may be delayed. Critically, life sciences innovation can contribute to the recovery of health systems through the novel prevention approaches, diagnostics and tech and climate services detailed in Chapter 2 of this report. Addressing health equity is a pre-requisite to delivering impact across resistance and recovery Health systems and other critical private and public partners must join life sciences innovators in efforts to tackle health equity problems. When considering life sciences innovations, it is also important to address and account for social determinants of health,127 such as economic stability, access to and quality of education, and the social and community context. Climate change will intensify disparities in access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and climate technology and services. Closing these access gaps across diseases is essential for equitable public health outcomes. Coordinated efforts such as early warning systems for climate events and disease outbreaks are important,128 but they must be tailored to local settings, taking into account how different populations access and receive information. Public health measures, in parallel with life sciences efforts, can address the health risks of rising heat levels, for example, by providing cooled shelters for those facing energy poverty and adopting urban planning strategies, such as expanding green spaces, to protect vulnerable populations in areas prone to the heat island effect. Insurance coverage that allows workers to safely miss work during extreme heat events, such as that provided by the India Extreme Heat Income Insurance Initiative,129 can further protect at-risk populations. Ultimately, coordinated action across the health system, the life sciences industry and other private and public players can reduce the projected health and economic impacts of climate change. Early warning systems for climate events and disease outbreaks are important, but they must be tailored to local settings, taking into account how different populations access and receive information. Healthcare in a Changing Climate: Investing in Resilient Solutions 29