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Dubbed the Belem Health Action Plan, the project seeks to reorganize healthcare, prevent health crises, and reduce the sector’s environmental impact. Among the most innovative measures are the redefinition of hospital care and rest hours during periods of extreme heat and the creation of clinical protocols that adjust medication doses based on temperature variations. “If heat waves become more frequent, services will have to change. We can’t maintain the same schedule if going out between noon and 4 p.m. becomes risky for the population,” epidemiologist Ethel Maciel, former Secretary of Health Surveillance and Brazil’s special envoy to the conference, explained. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the climate crisis will cause an estimated 250,000 deaths annually between 2030 and 2050, primarily from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress. Global costs to health systems will range between $2 billion and $4 billion annually. Developed in conjunction with the WHO, the Brazilian plan is structured around three pillars: comprehensive climate and health surveillance, preparedness of services and professionals, and sustainable innovation in the medical supply chain. jdt/arm/mem/ocs
