Healthcare in a Changing Climate: Investing in Resilient Solutions
Climate change will have a profound impact on people and economies – causing an estimated additional 14.5 million deaths and $12.5 trillion in economic costs between today and 2050. However, through investments in enhanced prevention, improved diagnostics and novel treatments, 6.5 million lives could be saved, economic losses reduced by $5.8 trillion and 1 billion fewer disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) accrued.
Climate change will have a profound impact on people and economies – causing an estimated additional 14.5 million deaths and $12.5 trillion in economic costs between today and 2050. However, through investments in enhanced prevention, improved diagnostics and novel treatments, 6.5 million lives could be saved, economic losses reduced by $5.8 trillion and 1 billion fewer disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) accrued.
To achieve these results will require global public-private coordination on scale greater than needed during COVID-19. Research conducted for this report finds that focused R&D investments totalling $65 billion over the next 5-8 years could mitigate climate-related health challenges. This amounts to less than 5% of annual R&D spending by the pharmaceutical industry.
The report analyses preventable human and economic impacts of climate change across 11 diseases and conditions: malaria, dengue fever, cholera, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, stunting, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, fatalities and injuries, heat-related diseases and asthma.