Journal Article > ResearchFull Text
PLOS Clim. 6 March 2024; Volume 3 (Issue 3); e0000243.; DOI:10.1371/journal.pclm.0000243
McIver L, Beavon E, Malm A, Awad A, Uyen A, et al.
PLOS Clim. 6 March 2024; Volume 3 (Issue 3); e0000243.; DOI:10.1371/journal.pclm.0000243
This mixed-methods study focuses on the evidence of the health impacts of climate change on populations affected by humanitarian crises, presented from the perspective of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)–the world’s largest emergency humanitarian medical organisation. The Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was used as the basis of a narrative review, with evidence gaps highlighted and additional literature identified relevant to climate-sensitive diseases and health problems under-reported in–or absent from–the latest IPCC report. An internal survey of MSF headquarters staff was also undertaken to evaluate the perceived frequency and severity of such problems in settings where MSF works. The findings of the survey demonstrate some discrepancies between the health problems that appear most prominently in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report and those that are most relevant to humanitarian settings. These findings should be used to guide the direction of future research, evidence-based adaptations and mitigation efforts to avoid the worst impacts of climate change on the health of the world’s most vulnerable populations.