Climate and Health: The Social Innovation Landscape in Latin America and Asia-Pacific

The report identifies critical systemic barriers in Latin America and Asia-Pacific across food security, healthcare capacity, and environmental health, emphasizing the role of social innovators in driving systemic change through radical collaboration and innovative finance.

• Food insecurity is a primary barrier in both regions, with women and girls disproportionately affected. In Latin America, it represents 18.67% of the share of barriers, while in Asia-Pacific it is 17.88%.
• There is a significant global funding gap for health systems adapting to climate change. Until 2030, an annual financing need of $11 billion exists, with $5.5 billion required in Latin America and the Caribbean and $2 billion in Asia (excluding Central Asia).
• Healthcare capacity is strained by a lack of technological innovation and preventative measures. In Latin America, limited technological advancements and medical innovations account for a 38% barrier score, while lack of preventative measures and weak screening constitute a 33.1% barrier score.
• Air pollution is a critical public health priority, particularly in Asia-Pacific where it comprises 68.7% of pollution-related barriers. In Latin America, it holds a 24% share of the overall pollution barrier share.
• Agricultural yields are threatened by climate change and pollution, with barrier shares of 22% in Latin America and 18.9% in Asia-Pacific. In Asia-Pacific, air pollution specifically reduces productivity of crops like maize, wheat, rice, and soya by 5–20%.
• Extreme weather events disproportionately impact women and girls in Asia-Pacific, as indicated by a gender score of 0.66. In Latin America, the primary focus for solutions is humanitarian aid (39%).
• There is a critical lack of investment in climate change adaptation in developing countries, with a funding gap estimated at 10–18 times larger than in developed countries, amounting to $215 billion annually.
• Social innovators face significant funding barriers, particularly in Latin America where inadequate access to sustainable innovation and investment constitutes 33% of the barrier share, and in Asia-Pacific where it exceeds 35%.

APA

World Economic Forum (2024). Climate and Health: The Social Innovation Landscape in Latin America and Asia-Pacific. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Climate_and_Health_2024.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Climate and Health: The Social Innovation Landscape in Latin America and Asia-Pacific. 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Climate_and_Health_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Climate and Health: The Social Innovation Landscape in Latin America and Asia-Pacific |date=October 2024 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Climate_and_Health_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2024climate, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Climate and Health: The Social Innovation Landscape in Latin America and Asia-Pacific}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Climate_and_Health_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }