Belize City, Fri. Sept. 10, 2021– A group of 25 international, U.S., and Caribbean organizations, inclusive of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), have joined forces to tackle the public health challenges arising from climate change in the Caribbean.

PAHO has reported that there is a high incidence rate of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory disease in the Caribbean, and it stated that the prevalence of these non-communicable diseases can be partially attributed to climate change — due to factors such as the emission of greenhouse gases, air pollution, and unhealthy diets.

The consortium will host a three-day virtual conference from October 5 to 8 at which the science of climate change and health in the Caribbean will be discussed.

The establishment of climate-resilient health systems remains a critical part of efforts to safeguard the public. “The impacts from climate change pose a challenge to human health in the Caribbean. These negative health outcomes related to heat stress, injuries, food/water contamination and geographic expansion of vectors are complex and require public health prevention and preparation,” said PAHO Subregional Program Director for the Caribbean, Dean Chambliss. “This conference supports the development of an unprecedented network of climate change and health experts as well as the opportunity to advance research and implementation in the Caribbean,” he said.