Climate Change and health: vulnerability pathways and resilience policies

Climate change is a serious threat to public health. The intensity and devastation of 21st-century climate events exacerbate the vulnerability of certain social groups that already face historical disadvantages. The objective of this article is to examine various dimensions of health vulnerability in the context of anthropogenic climate change. A narrative review was conducted based on articles published in the last five years from the Scopus, Medline/PubMed, LILACS databases, and an intentional search of current publications by international organizations and commissions focused on the topic. The review identified and characterized four types of health vulnerability dimensions: social, economic, geographic, and health infrastructure; it also presents multiple intersectionalities that converge at the interface of climate change and health which increase the risk of physical and mental illnesses. Based on the proposed discussion, public policy guidelines are suggested for resilient health systems and effective information structures for timely decision-making.