PAHO/CDE/19-16

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Climate-related disasters, heatwaves, climate-sensitive diseases, and severe droughts and floods are taking lives and harming health, livelihoods, and ecosystems across the countries of the Caribbean, as in other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) around the world. In recognition of the high vulnerability of those countries, the World Health Organization launched in 2017 the Special Initiative on Climate Change and Health in Small Island Developing States, aiming to increase the resilience of these countries and territories to climate variability and climate change. As part of this global initiative, the Caribbean Action Plan on Health and Climate Change was prepared by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in consultation with Caribbean Member States and territories, and agreed by their respective Ministers of Health and Environment. The Action Plan has four main strategic lines: 1. Empowerment, to support health leadership in the Caribbean to engage nationally and internationally; 2. Evidence, to better understand, prepare, and respond to the impacts of climate change on health; 3. Implementation, to build climate-resilient health systems and health-promoting mitigation actions; and 4. Resources, to increase climate change and health financing. Furthermore, these strategic lines are structured around the commitments made by countries, territories, and regional technical agencies to implement 26 national and 18 regional actions, and to report on 22 indicators. This document, the Caribbean Action Plan on Health and Climate Change Indicator Descriptors, provides information about the methods of how each of those indicators should be measured and reported. It is organized following the four main components of the plan. Methods were discussed and agreed by Caribbean Member States and territories and may be updated as necessary.

Climate Change; Health Programs and Plans; Health Sector Stewardship and Governance; Caribbean Region

Cat 3. Determinants of Health and Promoting Health throughout the Life Course

Pan American Health Organization. Caribbean Action Plan on Health and Climate Change: Indicator Descriptors. Washington, D.C.: PAHO; 2019.