Pacific Healthy Islands Transformation (PHIT) Project : Technical Note

The operation has been screened for climate and disaster risks and has been found to be highly exposed while risks to the operation's activities are moderate. Climate change is profoundly impacting the health of Pacific Islanders, particularly the large portion of the population with non-communicable disease (NCD). Exacerbation of cardiovascular disease (CVDs) incidence, such as ischemic heart disease and stroke, are amongst the most pressing and deadly health impacts of climate change. Climate change is worsening food insecurity across the Pacific, driving up rates of obesity and intensifying the burden of diabetes - another leading cause of mortality and NCD prevalence in the region. Climate change poses significant health risks to Pacific Island countries through increased incidence of climate-sensitive epidemic-prone, infectious diseases, specifically water and vector borne diseases. Climate change is also affecting cancer incidence and outcomes, both directly and indirectly. Recent research shows that rising temperatures can elevate cancer risk through increased exposure to carcinogens, disruptions to health-care delivery, and can even influence biological processes at the cellular level. Pacific health infrastructure remains critically vulnerable to escalating climate threats, undermining the region's capacity to address growing disease burdens and provide the continuity of care essential to those with NCDs