Climate change is a long-term systematic climate variability caused by human activities that alters the composition of the global atmosphere. Health systems should be adaptive and resilient to climate change. Hence, this research aimed to strategically analyze the resilience of Iran’s health system to climate change.
This study utilized a multiple methods approach. First, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 key climate change and health experts to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Iranian health system’s resilience to climate change. Purposeful and snowball sampling techniques were used to ensure maximum diversity among the participants. Then, a questionnaire was developed based on the findings of the first stage and was completed by 33 climate change and health experts. Finally, the strategic position of Iran’s health system’s resilience to climate change was determined using the internal - external factors matrix.
A total of 84 internal factors and 101 external factors were identified that affect the resilience of Iran’s health system against climate change. The internal factors were categorized into seven dimensions (i.e., governance and leadership; health financing; health workforce; facilities, equipment and medicines; health information system; health services delivery, and key results). The external factors were categorized into six dimensions (i.e., political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors). The average score of internal and external factors were 2.47 and 2.12, out of 4 respectively. Iran’s health system was found to be in the strategic position of V in terms of resilience to climate change. Therefore, precautionary strategies such as strengthening the climate resilience of healthcare facilities, promoting healthcare facilities’ adaptation to climate change, public-private partnership, strengthening the health service delivery system, quality management and cost management, should be implemented to strengthen the resilience of Iran’s health system to climate change.
Iran’s health system is facing significant weaknesses and challenges that have hindered its resilience to climate change. Iran’s health system can better prepare and respond to the health impacts of climate change, and safeguarding the health and well-being of its population by addressing these challenges and implementing adaptive and resilience strategies.
