Climate Change and Public Health Planning: The Participatory Development of the State of Bahia’s Sectoral Health Plan for Mitigation and Adaptation, Brazil
1
Bahia State Health Department, Government of the State of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A426
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
Brazil has a Unified Health System (UHS) organized in a decentralized manner, coordinating actions in health promotion, prevention, surveillance, and care1,2. States and municipalities have autonomy to plan and implement activities within their territories, following federal guidelines and social participation2. Climate change increases the occurrence of extreme events, exacerbates socio-environmental inequalities, and intensifies epidemiological risks, demanding planned and coordinated governmental responses3,4,5. In this context, the development of sectoral plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation plays a strategic role, guiding decision-making and integrating the climate agenda into public health planning5.This study describes the process of developing Brazil’s first Sectoral Health Plan for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, which was created by an interinstitutional working group composed of managers, state technical teams, representatives of social oversight bodies, and environmental agencies, ensuring a participatory and integrated approach. The plan was based on situational analysis, literature review, assessment of climate vulnerabilities, integration of health surveillance data, epidemiological profiling, and identification of vulnerable populations. Workshops and meetings were held to establish actions and targets, as well as to guide the allocation of resources for activities structured around six strategic axes: Governance and Management; Health Surveillance and Information Systems; Resilient Care; Infrastructure and Sustainable Technologies; Education, Communication, and Research; and Protection of Vulnerable Populations. State-level strategic planning guided the structuring of the document over a ten-year period, including short-, medium-, and long-term actions. Therefore, the plan represents a strategic instrument that incorporates the effects of climate change into state health planning. The description of its development process contributes to the sharing of replicable experiences in other contexts, strengthening more sustainable health policies while upholding the SUS principles of universality, comprehensiveness, and equity.
Brazil has a Unified Health System (UHS) organized in a decentralized manner, coordinating actions in health promotion, prevention, surveillance, and care1,2. States and municipalities have autonomy to plan and implement activities within their territories, following federal guidelines and social participation2. Climate change increases the occurrence of extreme events, exacerbates socio-environmental inequalities, and intensifies epidemiological risks, demanding planned and coordinated governmental responses3,4,5. In this context, the development of sectoral plans for climate change mitigation and adaptation plays a strategic role, guiding decision-making and integrating the climate agenda into public health planning5.This study describes the process of developing Brazil’s first Sectoral Health Plan for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, which was created by an interinstitutional working group composed of managers, state technical teams, representatives of social oversight bodies, and environmental agencies, ensuring a participatory and integrated approach. The plan was based on situational analysis, literature review, assessment of climate vulnerabilities, integration of health surveillance data, epidemiological profiling, and identification of vulnerable populations. Workshops and meetings were held to establish actions and targets, as well as to guide the allocation of resources for activities structured around six strategic axes: Governance and Management; Health Surveillance and Information Systems; Resilient Care; Infrastructure and Sustainable Technologies; Education, Communication, and Research; and Protection of Vulnerable Populations. State-level strategic planning guided the structuring of the document over a ten-year period, including short-, medium-, and long-term actions. Therefore, the plan represents a strategic instrument that incorporates the effects of climate change into state health planning. The description of its development process contributes to the sharing of replicable experiences in other contexts, strengthening more sustainable health policies while upholding the SUS principles of universality, comprehensiveness, and equity.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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