Opinion: Health at the crossroads — a call to action for global leaders

Climate change is among the greatest threats to human health in the 21st century. As a “threat multiplier,” it undermines decades of health progress by driving extreme weather events that disrupt health care, altering disease transmission, increasing air pollution, growing food insecurity, and deepening health inequities — especially in low- and middle-income countries with fragile health systems.

Climate change could cause an additional 250,000 deaths annually between 2030 and 2050. In 2023 alone, extreme heat led to lost labor capacity, resulting in an estimated $835 billion global income loss. As climate impacts intensify and the global aid landscape shifts, the moment calls for urgent action. The private sector’s role is more critical than ever — requiring a new model of cross-sector collaboration to maximize impact within limited resources. We have witnessed this destructive cycle firsthand: When climate change undermines both human health and economic stability, progress stalls everywhere.

As we approach the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, focus is growing on the intersection of climate and health. As global leaders convene in New York, the imperative is clear: We must focus on what drives real, scalable progress. This means partnering with local stakeholders to cocreate sustainable solutions that strengthen climate-resilient health systems.

Building climate-resilient health infrastructure and workforce

Infrastructure breakdowns caused by extreme weather directly impair health care delivery. Research in South Africa by professor Debra Jackson, Takeda chair in global child health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, revealed that on hot days, health care workers spend less time with patients, citing unbearable heat as a barrier to care. This highlights the urgent need for climate-smart infrastructure upgrades — such as reflective building materials and solar power installation — that reduce heat absorption and maintain safe working environments. Without these investments, extreme weather limits health care professionals’ ability to care for their patients.

Equally critical is investing in a climate-smart health workforce, especially in regions with severe health care worker shortages. Africa, for example, carries 24% of the global disease burden but has only 3% of the world’s health workforce. This disparity widens as climate impacts strain health systems.

Seed Global Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to quality health care, partners with academic institutions and health care facilities to train skilled health workers. While addressing the health workforce shortage, the organization integrates climate-smart skills into the workers’ education. By ensuring that health workers are equipped to respond effectively to climate-driven health challenges — whether a cholera outbreak or a drought — climate-resilient capabilities endure long after philanthropic funding ends.

The impact is transformative: When infrastructure is built to withstand climate impacts and health care workers are trained and equipped, they can better anticipate, manage, and prepare for climate-related disruptions to health systems.

Cocreating climate resilience through local ownership

At the heart of sustainable impact are local leaders and community members who understand their area’s unique risks and resources — and are best positioned to lead as climate stressors become more frequent and severe.

Mercy Corps, a humanitarian organization committed to alleviating suffering and building resilient communities, exemplifies this approach through its Caribbean Resilience Initiative. The program helps Caribbean communities prepare for, recover from, and build back stronger after extreme weather events by codesigning interventions that improve infrastructure, secure vital resources, and train resilient workforces.

Mercy Corps works alongside local leaders to transform community centers into “Resilience Hubs” — safe gathering points with solar panels, clean water, refrigeration for temperature-sensitive medicines, off-grid power, charging stations, and essential supplies. These hubs serve as lifelines during and after disasters, enabling communities to coordinate response, maintain access to resources, and accelerate recovery.  

Such unique collaborations enable communities and health professionals to lead climate adaptation and take ownership of integrating adaptation efforts into health care service delivery and health systems. This not only improves health outcomes and advances equity but also strengthens communities’ climate resilience by developing the skills and resources needed to protect lives and livelihoods.

The multiyear funding enables Mercy Corps to scale a proven community-driven model, with the flexibility to expand approaches that Caribbean communities already trust and value. A long-term focus is essential to delivering sustainable impact while remaining responsive and rooted in community priorities.

By strengthening the systems that keep communities connected and supported during crises, this work mitigates the impacts of extreme weather on health care access and well-being.

Fostering collaborative leadership for climate resilience

To drive health equity, we must recognize climate change as a fundamental threat to health system resilience, not just a component of a larger puzzle. Corporate funders have an opportunity to play a pivotal role in this landscape by prioritizing climate resilience in their collaborations and investments.

Equity and adaptability are essential in effective collaboration. Funders should engage with local partners on an equal footing, seeking to understand how best to support rather than impose solutions. Flexibility is crucial in navigating complex challenges, allowing partners to adjust and pivot as circumstances change.

Embracing a learning mindset is vital; by actively listening to local experts who understand community dynamics, corporate funders can refine their strategies and remove barriers to operational success. This spirit of trust and shared purpose transforms collaboration into a powerful force for lasting, climate-resilient health impact.

Reimaging cross-sector solutions for health systems strengthening

Strengthening health systems demands more than funding; it requires locally driven, strategic investments where the private sector joins as a collaborative partner. With leadership grounded in equity and flexibility, corporate funders can play a catalytic role in uniting governments, nonprofits, academia, and communities to cocreate sustainable solutions.

Empowering local stakeholders to drive innovation is vital. By forging cross-sector collaborations that harness diverse expertise, resources, and long-term commitment, we can create environments where communities thrive. Supporting them to innovate, test, and scale their solutions fosters resilience and genuine empowerment.

As world leaders converge in New York, let’s champion a new model that prioritizes local leadership, sustained private sector involvement, and academic collaboration, collectively bolstering health systems against the challenges of a changing climate.

Register here for Catalysts for change: Cross-sector solutions for climate-resilient health systems, a panel session at the U.N. General Assembly hosted by Devex in partnership with Takeda.