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The document outlines the critical intersection of climate change and public health in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), emphasizing the region's high vulnerability despite its modest global emissions contribution. It details how extreme weather, food insecurity, and the transition to clean energy impact health, particularly for marginalized groups like indigenous peoples and urban poor. The statement calls for the integration of health into National Determined Contributions (NDCs), the decarbonization of health systems and food production, and the implementation of the Belém Action Plan on Health. It advocates for climate justice, the protection of traditional knowledge, and increased financing for health-centered climate resilience.

The document argues that climate change severely impacts the physical and mental health of populations in Latin America and the Caribbean, exacerbating existing socioeconomic and structural inequalities. It identifies critical gaps in health system resilience, a lack of climate-health integration in professional education, and insufficient financing, noting that only 11.6% of Green Climate Fund projects in the region explicitly include health benefits. To address these, the Common Position advocates for the full application of climate justice principles, the strengthening of primary healthcare, and the inclusion of health indicators in the Global Adaptation Goal at COP30 and the Belém Health Action Plan.

The document argues that climate change is the biggest health threat of the 21st century and that health professionals are uniquely positioned as trusted voices to build public support for climate action. It provides a framework for communicating these risks and benefits, emphasizing simple, human-centric messaging over technical jargon or alarmist language. The toolkit outlines specific health risks—such as air pollution, heatwaves, and food insecurity—and highlights the 'win-win' nature of climate solutions, noting that every dollar spent on reducing emissions saves approximately $2 in health costs.

The report identifies significant gaps in expertise, funding, and priority within the U.S. public health system regarding climate change. While most local health directors recognize climate change as a threat, few prioritize it in their departmental planning. The authors recommend a three-pronged approach: protecting public health through system efficacy, preventing dangers by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing health through 'win-win' policy alignment.

The report, produced by a consortium of medical societies, alerts the public and policymakers that climate change is already causing direct and indirect health harms across the United States. It identifies vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, and details how extreme heat, weather events, air pollution, and the spread of infectious diseases impact public health. The document advocates for the acceleration of a transition to clean renewable energy as the most critical action to protect health and provide immediate co-benefits like improved air and water quality.

The SAT-DENCLIM project in Cuba transitioned dengue surveillance from a reactive to a proactive model by combining bioclimatic indices, spatial modeling, and community engagement. Using data from 2019–2025, the system can predict transmission peaks approximately one month in advance and identify high-risk clusters. This integrated approach resulted in a reduction of up to 60% in dengue cases and infestation rates compared to previous periods.

The SAT-DENCLIM project in Cuba implemented a bioclimatic early warning system that combines climate analysis, spatial modeling, and community participation to predict dengue outbreaks. By utilizing bioclimatic indices, the system can anticipate transmission peaks approximately one month in advance. The project reported a reduction of up to 60% in dengue cases and infestation indices compared to previous periods, demonstrating a replicable model for health sector adaptation to climate change.

The LUCIA project developed a computational Agent-Based Model (MBA) to simulate malaria transmission by accounting for the interactions between mosquitoes, parasites, and humans. Validated in regions of Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru, the model demonstrates that land-use changes—such as deforestation, mining, and agricultural expansion—combined with climate factors like river flooding, increase human vulnerability to malaria. Findings indicate that risk is higher for isolated homes on the outskirts of populations compared to central areas. The research suggests that managing larval breeding sites within 200 meters of populations can eliminate disease transmission, and notes that Ecuador has already modified its mining policies as a result.

The Mexican government, via the Instituto Nacional de Ecología, proposes three primary research lines for the IAI: integrated assessments of climate variability and its impacts on health, agriculture, tourism, and ecosystems; the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in the energy and forestry sectors; and the study of co-benefits from reducing local and global emissions on human health and urban ecosystems.

The briefing highlights how subtle changes in seasonal patterns—such as altered precipitation and temperature shifts—are creating immediate risks in the Americas. It provides case studies from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Argentina to demonstrate how these shifts increase soil erosion, extend the prevalence of dengue fever, and complicate dam management for energy and flood control. The document emphasizes that historical climate patterns are no longer reliable for planning and calls for integrated, flexible management strategies.

The document identifies the IAI Directorate and members of its Science-Policy and Scientific Advisory Committees attending UNFCCC COP28. The delegation includes experts in climate and health, science diplomacy, adaptation for rural and indigenous communities, carbon emissions, and marine governance.

The report identifies 37 unique software tools for climate-sensitive infectious disease modelling, finding a heavy bias toward vector-borne diseases, particularly malaria. It highlights significant gaps in operationalization, accessibility, and geographic representation, noting that most tools are developed by North American and European institutions despite being intended for use in the Global South. Expert interviews reveal critical barriers to implementation, including poor data sharing between climate and health sectors, lack of political mandates, and a mismatch between complex model outputs and the needs of public health decision-makers.

The document details how a warming climate will increase the frequency and severity of heat waves and heavy precipitation in the Midwest, leading to higher mortality, infrastructure damage, and agricultural losses. It highlights specific risks to the Great Lakes shipping industry due to falling water levels and the threat to public health from water-borne diseases and combined sewer overflows in cities like Chicago and Milwaukee.

The document analyzes how Fiji, Ghana, and Benin are mainstreaming climate adaptation into their health systems through policy development, pilot projects, and political leadership. It identifies key barriers such as limited funding and poor data access, while recommending 'no-regrets' actions like staff training and the establishment of cross-sectoral collaboration mechanisms to build resilience against climate-related health risks and other shocks.