Climate health action in Latin America and the Caribbean: Priorities identified through a multi-stakeholder engagement process

Gina Polo Infante, Marino Mejía Rocha, Katerine Ariza Ruiz, Jeannette Liliana Amaya Lara, José Andrés Ocaña Navas, Andrés Peralta Chiriboga, Ana Sofía Zea Ruiz, Natalia Arcila Toro, Anita Gabriela Villacís, Gilma C Mantilla C, Enrique Peñaloza Quintero, Ana Lucía Torres Castillo, Zulma M Cucunubá, José Andrés Corredor Martínez, David Olaya Escobar and on behalf of LAC Hub for Climate Change and Health (CLIMAS)

PLOS Climate, 2026, vol. 5, issue 11, 1-24

Abstract: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is highly vulnerable to climate change despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions. Climate-related hazards — including extreme heat, floods, droughts, and hurricanes — exacerbate health risks and disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant populations, rural communities, women, older adults, and individuals with chronic conditions. Structural inequities, weak health systems, limited social protection, and fragmented governance further constrain the adaptive capacity. This study employed a sequential participatory design integrating qualitative and quantitative components, centered on a multi-stakeholder process to identify and prioritize key challenges at the intersection of climate change and health in LAC. A two-phase virtual workshop engaged stakeholders from academia, government, civil society, grassroot organizations and local communities across the region. Phase 1 focused on problem identification and thematic structuring across three axes: health workforce training, public policy, and climate-health data and modeling. Phase 2 applied the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to prioritize challenges within each axis and assess stakeholder consensus. Phase 1 identified eight key challenges in health workforce training, nine in public policy, and seven in climate-health data systems. Phase 2 revealed priority gaps across all three axes: limited workforce training and continuing education; weak governance, restricted financing, intersectoral coordination, and equity integration in policy design; and poor data quality, limited availability and timeliness, and weak institutional coordination, with varying levels of stakeholder consensus across the three axes. Effective climate–health action in LAC requires coordinated, equity-oriented, multi-level strategies that strengthen workforce capacity, governance, and data systems while addressing structural inequalities and improving evidence-based decision-making.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pclm00:0000868

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000868

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