COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH

The Common Position of Latin America and the Caribbean on Climate Change and Health highlights the region's severe vulnerability to climate-driven health crises, exacerbated by structural inequalities. It identifies critical gaps in health sector adaptation, education, and financing—noting that only 11.6% of Green Climate Fund projects in the region include explicit health benefits. The document advocates for integrating health into national climate policies, strengthening primary care, and ensuring climate justice for Indigenous and marginalized communities through frameworks like the Belém Health Action Plan and the Escazú Agreement.

• Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) faces severe health impacts from climate change, including mental health crises, food insecurity, and an increase in communicable diseases like dengue. These impacts are worsened by socioeconomic inequalities, unplanned urbanization, and a history of nature exploitation, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups such as Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and rural communities.
• The LAC region's health systems exhibit significant weaknesses in climate surveillance and response. Only eleven countries have adaptation plans and ten have assessed the vulnerability of the health sector. Furthermore, the health sector's role in climate decision-making remains marginal, and most regional universities do not include the link between climate change and health in undergraduate curricula.
• While LAC is not a leading global emitter of greenhouse gases, it suffers from high urban air pollution and an intensive agri-food model that causes deforestation and emissions. Despite producing 14% of the world's food, over 28% of the region's population experiences moderate or severe food insecurity.
• Climate finance for health in the LAC region is insufficient. Only 11.6% of projects funded by the Green Climate Fund in the region include explicit health benefits, and there are limited budget allocations for health-focused climate measures within Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• The Common Position outlines recommendations for governments and the international community, including the integration of health into national climate policies, the implementation of the Escazú Agreement, and the adoption of the Belém Health Action Plan. It calls for fair transitions to fossil-fuel-free economies and stricter limits on the influence of polluting industries in climate negotiations.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (n.d.). COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ENG-Executive-Summary-Common-LAC-Position-1-1.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH. n.d. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ENG-Executive-Summary-Common-LAC-Position-1-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ENG-Executive-Summary-Common-LAC-Position-1-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliancendcommon, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{COMMON POSITION OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ENG-Executive-Summary-Common-LAC-Position-1-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }