Untitled - DOH

Philippine Strategy on Climate Change Adaptation: Policy Health Handbook Sectorc) To establish more equitable (focused on poor and marginalized) healthcare financing as support(Financing)d) To strengthen health regulatory mechanism to link CC & Human Health Initiatives (Regulation)The possible actions from the four implementation platform consisted of the following:Service delivery:• Health service delivery programs (as disaster response)• Management of diseases as an aftermath of disasters/secondary to climate change (climatesensitive diseases initially)• Health prevention and promotion (BCC and Climate change and health impactscommunications)• Health R&D (Climate and health impact studies i.e., disease transmission dynamics)Financing:• Health program financing addressing the needs of the poor (in consideration of climate changediseases and responses)• Mobilizing resources at the national and local levels (partnerships funding)Regulation:• Policies (regional and local ordinances)• Standards• Institutional arrangementsGovernance:• Local health systems improvement• Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)• Improving national capacities (managerial, professional health service provision, advocate, ICT)• Establishing monitoring and evaluation (include surveillance systems)As the national framework for Climate change action is established it would also be commendable tofollow this up with specific sector adaptation strategies which will give flesh to the framework as wellas direction for the sector in terms of activities.Adaptation can be anticipatory (actions taken in advance of climate change) or responsive and canencompass both spontaneous responses to climate variability and change by affected individuals andplanned responses by governments or other institutions. 25Earlier on, DOH identified in their framework setting exercise some adaptation mechanisms:• Identify health adaptation mechanismso Policy cover and governanceo Institutional arrangements (inter-departmental)o Capability and service deliveryo Financing initiatives and regulationWe have established that the Philippines are a vulnerable country as regard climate change impactsand extreme events. And as this is so, adaptation strategies for health should be framed at thenational and local level, given that the devolution of health services has become a responsibility oflocal government units. Weather parameters then will play a role as specific affected geographicalareas will have variations.Adaptation strategies are clustered according to the following areas:1. Climate Change and Health Development2. Policy and Systems Development3. Program/Systems Integration4. Financing CC5. Partnerships BuildingSuggested adaptation strategies include (per F1 pillar, then by cluster):25 Smit et al. 2001. Adaptation to climate change in the context of sustainable development and equity. In:Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability in An Approach for Assessing Human HealthVulnerability and Public Health Interventions to Adapt to Climate Change. Ebi et al. Environmental HealthPerspectives, volume 114, number 12 December 2006. Available fromhttp://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=1718528765 1