Flooding, droughts, and other extreme weather events are already having a significant impact on human health, especially in countries hard hit by climate change, Jos Dusseljee, a senior health expert at Cordaid, told Devex.
Whether it’s yellow fever rates rising due to warming temperatures, or cholera thriving during flooding, Dusseljee said health systems needed to become more resilient so they can better respond to potential outbreaks, and so that they do not “reach an epidemic or even a pandemic” level.
“I think the COVID-19 crisis meant a tremendous wake-up call for the concept of analyzing global health systems,” Dusseljee said. “Health systems definitely have to become more flexible in the way they respond to the challenges they face.”
About the author
Helen Lock
Helen Lock is a former associate editor at Devex, responsible for commissioning, editing, and producing content on the partnerships editorial team. She has seven years of experience in journalism as a multimedia content producer for an international advocacy organization and as a reporter and section editor for U.K. national newspapers. As a freelance journalist, she covered cities, tech for good, global development, and education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Manchester and a master’s in Journalism from Goldsmiths, University of London.
