BACKGROUND:
In 2024, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, experienced the largest climate-related disaster in its history, marked by heavy rainfall, flooding, and disruption of health services, 1. This event—linked to climate change—exposed unprecedented vulnerabilities in local networks and placed intense pressure on the health system, 2.

METHODS:
We conducted a document analysis of official reports and records produced by Brazil’s Ministry of Health during the emergency response. We examined financing measures, team mobilization, logistical support, and critical issues identified in these documents, focusing on response organization and challenges encountered, 3.

RESULTS:
A total of R$ 63.1 million was transferred to 497 municipalities and the State Health Secretariat through emergency ordinances, in addition to R$ 931 million in extraordinary budget credits. The Ministry of Health coordinated the deployment of technical teams to support the state and affected municipalities, as well as the distribution of medicine kits and strategic supplies for shelters and impacted health facilities, 4,5. Care teams provided more than 20,000 consultations and supported the deployment of field hospitals. Despite the reach of these actions, significant weaknesses were identified: logistical gaps, difficulties in intergovernmental coordination, a lack of clear operational protocols, and insufficient field safety measures. These findings indicate that, although the immediate response was effective, reliance on extraordinary resources and the absence of structured financing and logistics mechanisms limit the sustainability of the response, 6.

CONCLUSIONS:
The Brazilian experience shows that climate-related health emergencies require standardized protocols, sustained financing, and robust intersectoral integration-reinforcing the urgency of incorporating health into global climate adaptation plans to avoid repeating existing vulnerabilities, 5,6.