Climate change is increasingly affecting global health, with rising temperatures, extreme weather, and shifting disease patterns threatening vulnerable populations. A joint report by the World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group highlights the urgent need for cross-sector investment to strengthen healthcare systems and protect economies from climate-related disruptions.
Without intervention, climate-induced health issues could lead to over $1.5 trillion in economic losses between 2025 and 2050 due to reduced worker availability across key sectors such as agriculture, construction, and healthcare. The report, titled Building Economic Resilience to the Health Impacts of Climate Change, analyzes risks and outlines strategies for adaptation.
Extreme heat, air pollution, water scarcity, and changing ecosystems are driving increases in respiratory illnesses, food- and water-borne diseases, and vector-borne conditions like dengue and Zika. Indirect effects include malnutrition and food insecurity, particularly in regions already facing limited healthcare access and infrastructure.
Women, children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions are disproportionately affected. In India, prolonged heatwaves have led to higher rates of heatstroke, dehydration, and skin infections, especially among women who cannot afford to stop working. Excessive rainfall has introduced diseases previously uncommon in certain areas, such as dengue in northeastern regions.
Mosquitoes are expanding into new territories due to warmer climates and stagnant water, increasing the risk of disease transmission to previously unaffected populations. This expansion places additional strain on healthcare systems already grappling with uneven resource distribution.
Economic consequences are widespread. In agriculture, a projected 35% decline in crop yields by 2050—amid a 50% rise in global food demand—could increase malnutrition by 20% and elevate food-borne illnesses. Smallholder farmers, who produce one-third of the world’s food and are often women in low-income countries, face heightened exposure to climate shocks and limited access to medical care.
In construction and the built environment, climate-related health risks could result in $570 billion in lost worker availability over the next 25 years. Migrant and informal laborers, lacking social protections and healthcare access, are especially vulnerable to extreme heat and poor air quality.
Healthcare infrastructure itself is under threat. In Hong Kong, each 1°C rise above 29°C leads to a 4.5% increase in hospital admissions. Facilities may become overwhelmed during climate-driven disease outbreaks, while pharmaceutical production and supply chains face disruptions from extreme weather.
Solutions require coordinated action. Investments in climate-resilient agriculture, precision farming, and nutrient-dense crops are essential. Adjusting work schedules to avoid peak heat and improving livestock management can reduce health risks. Energy-efficient, climate-adaptive buildings can protect workers and lower insurance costs.
The insurance sector can play a pivotal role by developing targeted products for at-risk communities and incentivizing climate risk reduction. Meanwhile, healthcare systems must scale up preventive care, expand access to treatment, and develop medicines targeting climate-exacerbated diseases.
Vanina Laurent-Ledru of Foundation S warned that without immediate investment, decades of progress in maternal and disease prevention could be reversed. Collaboration across governments, industries, and civil society is critical to safeguarding public health in a warming world.
— news from The World Economic Forum
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Strengthening healthcare systems for a warming world
Climate change is reshaping human health. Urgent action can lessen disease impacts and safeguard vulnerable communities. n nStrengthening resilience can protect the global economy from projected losses of over $1.5 trillion between 2025 and 2050 due to reduced worker availability. n nA new report from the World Economic Forum and Boston Consulting Group emphasizes the need for cross-sector collaboration and investment across healthcare and other critical systems to prevent climate-related health risks. n nAs climate change reshapes our world, it creates an urgent opportunity to build healthier, more resilient societies. We are already seeing the effects of extreme weather events on lives and livelihoods – with the world’s most disadvantaged regions disproportionately affected. n nBeyond the human impact, the economic case for action is clear. A new report from the World Economic Forum finds that worker availability losses from climate-induced injuries and illnesses across four critical sectors alone will account for a loss of more than $1.5 trillion. n nBuilding Economic Resilience to the Health Impacts of Climate Change, examines climate-driven health risks across four sectors – food and agriculture, the built environment, and health and healthcare. It examines how each industry can safeguard workers’ health, build operational resilience and scale up innovation to address the impacts of climate change. n nHow does climate change affect human health? n nClimate risk factors, including extreme weather events, water scarcity, extreme heat and air pollution, as well as their effects on declining ecosystems and rising sea levels, have a substantial impact on human health. n nIllnesses from respiratory, food and water-borne sources to zoonotic and vector-borne diseases like Ebola, COVID-19 and Zika all increase due to climate change. Indirectly, it leads to malnutrition and food insecurity-related diseases due to disruptions in the food and agriculture sectors. n nClimate-driven health risks disproportionately affect poor communities with limited infrastructure, access to healthcare and emergency preparedness, which already account for 90% of climate-, weather- and water-related deaths. They also impact gravely on vulnerable groups like women, children, the elderly, displaced individuals and those with underlying health conditions. n nMirai Chatterjee, chair of India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), describes how these dynamics affect women in India: n n“We have long, hot summers, and 45°C is not uncommon. However, what has become more difficult is extended periods of heat. It makes it very difficult for women to work, but they can’t afford to stay home. So, we have seen more cases of heatstroke, dehydration, irritability and also more skin infections, particularly in children.” n n“And then on the other side, we have excess rainfall. Now we’re seeing a lot of diseases we didn’t previously see. For example, in the northeast of India, we didn’t use to have much dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, but we do now.” n nHelen Stoop, Head of Public Affairs at Takeda Vaccines, adds: “Climate change is causing mosquitoes to move to areas where they are going to thrive because of the heat. They really love to stand in water, and they love to bite during the day. They’re very, very adaptable. This puts an increased burden on new populations at risk of the diseases they carry.” n nLoading… n nWhat are the impacts on the economy? n nFor the economy, the impacts are far-reaching, from changing demand and consumer needs to worker shortages due to illness and injury, supply chain disruptions and loss of productivity. This, in turn, causes strains on capital as medical liabilities and insurance premiums rise. n nFood and agriculture are particularly affected, being at the frontline of climate change. The sector is threatened by a 35% drop in crop production by 2050, all while facing a 50% rise in global demand. This gap could result in a 20% rise in malnutrition and an increase in food-borne diseases, especially in vulnerable communities. n nDaniella Foster, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Public Affairs, Market Access and Sustainability at Bayer, points out: “Take smallholder farmers: they produce a third of the world’s food. They are typically found in low- and middle-income countries. Disproportionately, they tend to be women. And at the same time, they are on the front lines of the climate crisis. So they’re experiencing more extreme weather events. They’re seeing challenges with harvest. They also tend to be in health deserts and in food deserts and are food insecure themselves.” n nIn the built environment, climate-health impacts could lead to $570 billion in worker availability losses between 2025 and 2050, the report predicts. Construction workers face health risks ranging from poor air quality and exposure to mosquitoes to extreme heat and severe weather events. Migrant and informal workers with no labour or social protection and lacking access to healthcare are particularly vulnerable. n nEnsuring a more resilient workforce is vital, Foster adds. “We need to work on very practical solutions, whether that’s solutions to climate resilience on the ground or closing the access to care gap that means half of the world still lacks access to basic and essential care.” n nDiscover n nHow is the World Economic Forum fighting the climate crisis? n nThe Global Risks Report 2023 ranked failure to mitigate climate change as one of the most severe threats in the next two years, while climate- and nature- related risks lead the rankings by severity over the long term. n nThe World Economic Forum’s Centre for Nature and Climate is a multistakeholder platform that seeks to safeguard our global commons and drive systems transformation. It is accelerating action on climate change towards a net-zero, nature-positive future. n nLearn more about our impact: n nScaling up green technologies: Through a partnership with the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, and over 65 global businesses, the First Movers Coalition has committed $12 billion in purchase commitments for green technologies to decarbonize the cement and concrete industry. n n1 trillion trees: Over 90 global companies have committed to conserve, restore and grow more than 8 billion trees in 65 countries through the 1t.org initiative – which aims to achieve 1 trillion trees by 2030. n nSustainable food production: Our Food Action Alliance is engaging 40 partners who are working on 29 flagship initiatives to provide healthy, nutritious, and safe foods in ways that safeguard our planet. In Vietnam, it supported the upskilling of 2.2 million farmers and aims to provide 20 million farmers with the skills to learn and adapt to new agricultural standards. n nEliminating plastic pollution: Our Global Plastic Action Partnership is bringing together governments, businesses and civil society to shape a more sustainable world through the eradication of plastic pollution. In Ghana, more than 2,000 waste pickers are making an impact cleaning up beaches, drains and other sites. n nProtecting the ocean: Our 2030 Water Resources Group has facilitated almost $1 billion to finance water-related programmes, growing into a network of more than 1,000 partners and operating in 14 countries/states. n nCircular economy: Our SCALE 360 initiative is reducing the environmental impacts of value chains within the fashion, food, plastics and electronics industries, positively impacting over 100,000 people in 60 circular economy interventions globally. n nWant to know more about our centre’s impact or get involved? Contact us. n nHow does climate change affect the healthcare sector? n nIn Hong Kong, every 1°C of temperature above 29°C equates to a 4.5% rise in hospital admissions. With health resources already unevenly distributed, climate change will leave a depleted healthcare sector unless it can be addressed effectively, the Forum’s report warns. n nThe focus on resilience needs to address both the impact on the population at large and healthcare workers themselves. Healthcare facilities will be more strained, and climate-driven disease outbreaks – like dengue, malaria or Zika – could overwhelm facilities and staff. n nThe same issues will affect the other side of the healthcare system, the pharmaceutical industry, which produces medicines and vaccines. With losses of productivity due to illness and extreme weather events affecting production sites and supply chains, building resilience will be vital here, too. n n“Agility, adaptability are the first things to think of here. It’s one of the fundamental things we have as humans and it’s going to be essential as we think through and work on solutions,” says Bayer’s Foster. n nLoading… n nWhat can we do to mitigate climate health impacts? n nThe Forum’s report offers detailed recommendations on how to mitigate the health impacts of climate change. n nThis starts with food and agriculture, where significant investment is needed in resilient precision agriculture to meet growing global food demand. There is also an opportunity to develop climate-resilient crops with a high nutrient density, improve animal health through adjusted livestock handling, and modify working practices to avoid peak heat. n nThe built environment also affects our climate resilience and health. Here, the Forum emphasizes the need for energy-efficient, climate-resilient buildings that can not only protect the people working inside but also reduce insurance costs and increase durability. n nInsurance also has a major role to play. As climate change increases health costs and threatens profitability, the sector must develop tailored solutions for the most affected communities and focus on the prevention of climate-related diseases. Insurance has a unique opportunity to incentivize other sectors to reduce their climate risks. n nUltimately, the health and healthcare sector requires support to become more resilient, as medicine supplies and healthcare workers are under pressure from climate change. Treatments for climate-related illnesses and preventative healthcare must scale up, and new drugs should target diseases worsened by climate change. To achieve this, pharmaceuticals and the life sciences, healthcare facilities, the workforce and patient care must work together to invest in adaptation measures. n nClosing the healthcare gap through collaboration n nVanina Laurent-Ledru, Director General at Foundation S, explains: “If we do not make this investment now, we will just see every health benefit we have gained in the past 40 to 50 years go away. Think of all the progress that’s been made in maternal health, in communicable diseases and in non-communicable diseases. These are going to be wiped away by climate change if we don’t act.” n nIn particular, this means focusing on those communities most affected by the health impacts of climate change, she says.