Climate Change and Healthcare Sustainability in the Agincourt Sub-District, Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region, South Africa

Monika dos Santos, David Howard, Pieter Kruger, Arnaud Banos () and Saul Kornik
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Monika dos Santos: UNISA - University of South Africa, University of Oxford, GC (UMR_8504) - Géographie-cités - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - UPD7 - Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
David Howard: University of Oxford
Pieter Kruger: UNISA - University of South Africa
Arnaud Banos: IDEES - Identité et Différenciation de l’Espace, de l’Environnement et des Sociétés - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - ULH - Université Le Havre Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - IRIHS - Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Homme et Société - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université, LabEx DynamiTe - Laboratoire d'Excellence "Dynamiques Territoriales et Spatiales" - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - UP8 - Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis - IRD [Réunion] - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - EPHE - École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - Inalco - Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales - CNAM - Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers [CNAM] - UPEC UP12 - Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - MC - Ministère de la Culture - UPCité - Université Paris Cité - Université Sorbonne Paris Nord
Saul Kornik: AHP - Africa Health Placements

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Abstract: As low-income communities are most vulnerable to climate-associated health concerns, access to healthcare will increase in importance as a key priority in South Africa. This study explores healthcare sustainability in the Agincourt sub-district, Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region in Mpumalanga, South Africa. A rapid assessment and response methodology (RAR) was implemented, which includes the examination of previous studies conducted in the sub-district, the mapping of healthcare facilities in the area, and the implementation of a facility infrastructure and workforce capacity investigation by means of key informant (KI) interviews at eight healthcare facilities. Findings indicate that the greatest need across the facilities relate to access to medical doctors and pharmacists. None of the facilities factored climate associations with health into their clinical care strategies. The necessity to train healthcare facility staff on aspects related to climate change, health, and sustainability is highlighted. Environmental health practitioners should also be incorporated in grassroots community climate adaptation strategies. Outcomes further indicate the need for the advancement of integrated healthcare and climate adaptation strategies that focus on strengthening healthcare systems, which may include novel technological approaches such as telemedicine. Policy makers need to be proactive and pre-emptive in finding and improving processes and models to render healthcare services prepared for climate change.

Keywords: Agincourt; PARIS team; ACL; healthcare; South Africa; healthcare system strengthening; sustainability; low-income communities; climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01993273v1
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Published in Sustainability, 2019, 11 (2), pp.496. ⟨10.3390/su11020496⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01993273

DOI: 10.3390/su11020496

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