Climate change-related mass migration requires health system resilience

Abstract

Mass migration driven by climate change-related shocks and stresses is already occurring. We argue for a need for resilient health systems to ensure migration is adaptive, not detrimental, to health. We make this argument for two reasons. First, without resilience, large and sudden population increases such as from migration may strain health systems. Second, while health system resilience-building efforts are occurring, these tend to focus on crises that are substantially different from climate change-related mass migration—most notably because migrants are not threats but instead people with resources and capacity as well as needs. Then, articulating a health system as a large and complex sociotechnical infrastructure, we outline three salient features of health systems resilient to climate change-related mass migration: rapid ability to shift and adapt, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and transformation. We conclude by suggesting the resources, which policymakers need for achieving health system resilience from this sociotechnical perspective.