Adaptations at the health sector to handle the waterborne diseases in the context of climate change

• Grant number: 14/26007-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2015
• End date: December 06, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Sociology - Other specific Sociologies
• Principal Investigator: Sonia Regina da Cal Seixas
• Grantee: Gabriela Farias Asmus
• Host Institution: Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas Ambientais (NEPAM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The evidences of climate change impacts on human health have been accumulating in the literature, identifying a number of direct and indirect effects associated with exposure to higher temperatures and extreme events such as droughts and floods. The incidence of waterborne diseases is a potential consequence of these events, especially in countries whose social injustice moves people into inappropriate areas without basic sanitation, education and health. Regardless whether there is scientific certainty of climate change dimensions and impacts on the populations, it is prudent to initiate adaptations measures, especially in the healthcare sector. This research aims to evaluate the measures planned by the health sector - or related to the health sector - to tackle climate change in Brazil, and also in two regions of the State of São Paulo: the Greater São Paulo, affected by water crisis and the North Coast, periodically affected by floods. At the local level, it will look for adaptations both planned as autonomous and adaptive needs perceived by technicians and community health workers. The expectation is that the present study provides a summary of the adaptations adopted by the health sector to deal with these changes and climate fluctuations, and identify gaps, opportunities, limitations and possible maladaptations. (AU)