Investing in tools to prepare communities for climate-related health risks delivers returns of up to 68 times the original outlay, according to new research that makes a compelling case for tackling one of the defining public health challenges of the century.
The analysis, carried out by the World Resources Institute with funding from The Rockefeller Foundation, examined 46 projects across 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa. It found that every dollar invested in measures such as early warning systems, disease surveillance and public awareness campaigns generates between four and 68 dollars in economic benefits, depending on local conditions.
For a country of around 25 million people, delivering a full package of these services would cost an estimated $18 million a year, around 72 cents per person – a relatively modest sum when weighed against the value of lives protected and emergency costs avoided.
In some cases the returns are even more dramatic. Strengthening the resilience of health facilities generated returns of $168 per dollar invested in Jamaica and $317 in St. Lucia. Urban heatwave warning systems in Indian cities produced average returns of around $50 for every dollar spent.
The research comes as climate change increasingly reshapes public health risks across the developing world. Rising temperatures are driving more frequent and severe heatwaves, while flooding and extreme weather are accelerating the spread of infectious diseases including malaria, dengue and cholera, and disrupting health systems already under strain.
Without stronger action, low- and middle-income countries could face nearly 16 million deaths and more than $20 trillion in economic losses by 2050 from climate-related health impacts alone.
Ani Dasgupta, President and Chief Executive of WRI, said: ‘Climate disasters are becoming more frequent and more destructive, but how severely they affect human health is still within our control. Health is the most human face of climate change – it affects everyone, especially children, and disproportionately harms the poorest communities. Investing in anticipating climate-related health risks can save lives and deliver returns many times over. This is one of the highest-return opportunities to protect people in a changing climate – but only if countries and development partners step up.’
Despite the evidence, uptake remains limited. A forthcoming World Health Organization survey found that fewer than half of health ministries currently incorporate climate data into their national surveillance systems, while many meteorological agencies lack the resources for the cross-agency collaboration these programmes require.
Professor Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General said: If we fail to act, our changing climate will continue to reshape health risks faster than our systems can adapt. But we are not powerless. We already have the science, data and tools to anticipate and reduce these risks. Investing in climate services for health should not be seen as a burden: it is a life‐saving, cost‐effective choice that helps countries act earlier, protect people, and prevent crises before they escalate.’
The full research can be accessed here.