Barbados, January 13, 2021 (PAHO/WHO) - Regional Climate Change and Health Designated Authorities and focal points came together for two days, December 2-3, to accelerate the development of comprehensive Health National Adaptation Plans (HNAPs) across 16 CARIFORUM countries, beneficiaries of the recently launched PAHO/EU/CARIFORUM Strengthening Climate Resilient Health Systems Project.
The participants were from across the Americas with representation from the project countries, as well as the USA and Central and South America. Project Coordinator, Dr Jonathan Drewry noted that the workshop provided participants with an awareness and the motivation to initiate or continue the HNAP process. “Very few countries have fully completed the HNAP, with the majority at different stages of the process. We welcomed the opportunity to discuss to learn the barriers and opportunities for carrying out the HNAP. Among the more common barriers were lack of high-level interest in climate and health, insufficient technical capacity in data collection/management/ analysis, financial support, and coordination across sectors,” he revealed.
The most common enabling factors listed by countries to complete the HNAP were national plans that promote collaboration and the increase in awareness of climate change in Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS), leading to an increase in awareness and funding
