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While a shifting climate exacerbates public health challenges, an international team of researchers offers a path forward. UF Term Professor and Associate Professor of Medical Geography Sadie Ryan, the co-author of a new analysis published today in The Lancet Planetary Health, unpacks key findings from the sweeping climate and health assessment.

As extreme weather events continue to intensify — from major hurricanes and wildfires in the U.S. to monsoon flooding in Pakistan and extreme heat in Europe — the magnitude of the human emergency comes into sharper focus. Infectious disease outbreaks in the wake of such events are common, so assuring that health adaptation efforts are firmly in place ahead of time remains critical to protecting those at risk.

Scientists are racing the clock to boost resiliency in the face of mounting challenges. Ryan, as co-director of the Florida Climate Institute and an investigator at UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute, examines the intersections of climate change and vector-borne disease transmission and management.

“There is no longer a question about climate-induced health hazards, so we urgently need the toolkits to face these impacts, to plan, to adapt, to implement resilient strategies,” Ryan said.

The researchers’ analysis shows that early detection systems and proactive interventions can help manage disease spread and limit impacts; however, past performance of these tactics has been weakened by limited funding, weak or unstable partnerships, insufficient staff training, and lack of buy-in from decision-makers.

The new paper employs tools from the emerging field of implementation science, which moves beyond theory toward real-world practice by building a science-based framework to inspire strategic action. Five case studies were selected as a representative sample of diverse regions of the world disproportionately affected by climate hazards: Africa, Asia, South America, Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean. The researchers analyzed barriers to success in each case study, addressing strategies to overcome them in the future.

According to the researchers, engaging early and clearly defining goals with decision-makers is key. Scaling up the system can become an insurmountable feat without early and earnest buy-in. “It is essential that any climate-health project or plan start in conversation with those impacted, those making decisions about adaptation and strategies,” Ryan said. “Without co-development and co-creation, the goal of targeting action will be missed.”

Among other barriers, the research team noted detrimental effects when climate science training is omitted as a core competency in medical science or public health training. Naïve or misguided responses to climate-related decisions can be overcome by facilitating partnerships with local universities and governmental agencies to increase understanding of environmental science issues, they said.

“Climate-health systems cross sectors and traditional disciplinary training, while adding new needs for skills in engagement and communication,” Ryan said. “Creating the space for conversations and training, to forge new partnerships and frameworks is key.”

The researchers proposed a four-step framework to encourage resilience to a changing climate using early intervention strategies. Their recommendations remain contingent upon stakeholders’ ability to foster trust, collaboration and engagement in the face of challenges.

First, it’s essential to understand the vulnerabilities to anticipate potential roadblocks to implementation success. Next, key stakeholders must be engaged in the creation of the system from the onset. Third, collecting qualitative and quantitative data in test settings ensures that the appropriate strategies are selected. Finally, after implementation, the outcomes of the strategies must be assessed across a wide range of considerations.

“This framing provides for the inclusion of the essential pieces of co-creation, co-development, and the spaces of engagement in climate-health – using case studies, we hope to provide an illustrated template for others addressing urgent climate-health needs,” Ryan said.

The analysis was led by Gila Neta of the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Control and Populations Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health. The paper was co-authored by researchers from Duke University; University of Washington; the Pan American Health Organization; the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; the Barcelona Supercomputing Center; the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies; the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research; the Pacific Island Health Officers Association; the Energy and Resources Institute of New Delhi, India; the University of Oklahoma; the Barbados Ministry of Health and Wellness; and the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.