Climate Change and COVID-19: Assessing the Vulnerability and Resilience of U.S. Indigenous Communities to Syndemic Crises

By FYH News Team

Published on June 20, 2022

[ad_1]

Review

doi: 10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100148.

Online ahead of print.

Affiliations

¹ University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Aurora, CO.
² Director and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Pala Environmental Department, Pala Band of Mission Indians, Pala, CA.
³ Covenant Pathways, Navajo Nation, Vanderwagen, NM.
⁴ Swinomish Community Environmental Health Program, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, WA.
⁵ Community Environment and Health, Division of Environmental Health and Engineering, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, AK.
⁶ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.

Item in Clipboard

Review

Stefan Wheat et al.

J Clim Chang Health.

2022.

doi: 10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100148.

Online ahead of print.

Affiliations

¹ University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Aurora, CO.
² Director and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Pala Environmental Department, Pala Band of Mission Indians, Pala, CA.
³ Covenant Pathways, Navajo Nation, Vanderwagen, NM.
⁴ Swinomish Community Environmental Health Program, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, WA.
⁵ Community Environment and Health, Division of Environmental Health and Engineering, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage, AK.
⁶ Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY.

Item in Clipboard

Abstract

The rapid emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the insidiously evolving climate crisis represent two of the most pressing public health threats to Indigenous Peoples in the United States. Understanding the ways in which these syndemics uniquely impact Indigenous Peoples, given the existing health disparities for such communities, is essential if we are to address modifiable root causes of health vulnerability and devise effective and equitable strategies to protect and improve health in the evolving climate landscape. We explore the compounding burden of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change on Indigenous Peoples’ health, and present several case studies which outline novel Indigenous approaches and perspectives that address climate change, COVID-19 and future health threats.

Keywords:

COVID-19; Climate adaptation; Climate change; Indigenous health; Indigenous resilience.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

**Figure 1**

Conceptual framing of the syndemic crisis of climate change and COVID-19 which compounds existing physical health, mental health and health system vulnerabilities, resulting in elevated rates of food insecurity, psychosocial stress and morbidity and mortality.

References

1. Reid M, Abdool-Karim Q, Geng E, Goosby E. How will COVID-19 transform global health post-pandemic? Defining research and investment opportunities and priorities. PLOS Med. 2021;18 doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003564.
  
  –
  
  DOI
  
  –
  
  PMC
  
  –
  
  PubMed
1. Schramm PJ, Al Janabi AL, Campbell LW, Donatuto JL, Gaughen SC. How Indigenous Communities Are Adapting To Climate Change: Insights From The Climate-Ready Tribes Initiative: Analysis examines how indigenous communities are adapting to climate change. Health Aff (Millwood) 2020;39:2153–2159. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00997.
  
  –
  
  DOI
  
  –
  
  PMC
  
  –
  
  PubMed
1. Ford JD. Indigenous Health and Climate Change. Am J Public Health. 2012;102:1260–1266. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300752.
  
  –
  
  DOI
  
  –
  
  PMC
  
  –
  
  PubMed
1. Salick EJ, Byg A. Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change n.d.:32.
1. Gamble JL, Balbus J, Berger M, Bouye K, Campbell V, Chief K, et al. U.S. Global Change Research Program; Washington, DC: 2016. Ch. 9: Populations of Concern.

Affiliations

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Trending Topics

Features