Vision 2030: Climate adaptation for improvements in women’s sexual, reproductive, maternal and menopausal health outcomes
Climate change is exacerbating gender-related health inequities, by having a disproportionately greater impact on the health of women compared with men. Climate change can particularly impact women’s sexual, reproductive, maternal and menopausal health, as well as increase risks of gender-based violence, mental health issues, and unemployment (see Figure 1). Women’s unique physiological characteristics and life stages—such as menstruation, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause—make them particularly vulnerable to climate-related events. However, beyond biology, socioeconomic barriers further limit women’s ability to adapt to these health challenges. This vulnerability is especially high in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where women experience greater exposure to climate hazards, have fewer resources for adaptation, and face greater obstacles to healthcare access.
Figure 1: Climate- change impacts on women’s sexual, reproductive, maternal and menopausal health
Addressing the health impacts of climate change on women in LMICs is urgent—not only to protect individual well-being but also because women’s health directly influences broader social and economic stability, given their vital caregiving roles.
Action is needed to develop adaptive strategies that safeguard women’s health and improve women-centric health outcomes in relation to climate change in LMICs. Adaptation in this context is crucial and would enable health systems to anticipate, prepare for and minimise the impacts of climate change on women’s health while also allowing for speedier recovery from these effects.
There is an urgent need for policymakers and other stakeholders in LMICs to recognise and respond to the health impacts of climate change on women through targeted, collaborative and multisectoral approaches to adaptation that overcome barriers.
In this report, we present a framework for adaptation strategies with four main components (each with milestones) alongside three cross-cutting components with actionable responses (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: Overview of the women’s health and climate change adaptation framework
Through implementing this framework, we aim to achieve a Vision 2030, so that “by 2030, we envision a world where there are effective adaptation strategies to enhance women's sexual, reproductive, maternal and menopausal health in response to the impacts of climate change”.
A guide for health systems on improving women's health amid climate adaptation.
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Climate adaptation for improved cardiovascular-renal-metabolic health
Vision 2030: A guide for health systems on improving cardiovascular-renal-metabolic health amid climate adaptation.
Climate change and women’s health: providers play a vital role
Healthcare providers have an important role to play in climate change preparedness for women’s health, but they also need to develop soft skills and support the development of allied community workers, says Alison Malmqvist, a Vice President and Climate Health lead at Population Services International.
Health and Planetary Health Literacy for better wellbeing
There is an urgent need to improve health and planetary health literacy as it gives people, including girls and women, the skills to become agents of change for their communities and stimulate practices that improve their health and that of the environment, says Kristine Sørensen, founder of the Global Health Literacy Academy
Chronic Kidney Disease in Outdoor Workers in Latin America
Climate change is leading to a rise in global temperatures and an impact on outdoor workers’ kidney health. Dr Magdalena Madero, Chief of Nephrology at Instituto Nacional de Cardiol in Mexico, looks at how employers and healthcare professionals can help prevent the negative effects of extreme heat exposure.
Climate Change Affects Cardiovascular Health in Africa
Climate change is impacting cardiovascular health, particularly for individuals living in Africa, which poses a growing challenge to healthcare systems in the region, requiring effective adaptation strategies, says Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, the chief executive officer of the South African Medical Research Council
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