Climate change and public health are the focus of debate at Sespa
Experts discuss the impacts of climate emergencies on human health and reinforce the need for integrated actions in the context of COP30
The State Department of Public Health of Pará (Sespa) held on Thursday, June 6, the event "Health at Risk: The Impact of Climate Change and Environmental Disasters on Human Health" at the auditorium of the department's headquarters in Belém. The initiative, promoted by the Coordination of Environmental Health Surveillance (Visamb), of the Department of Environmental and Worker Health Surveillance (Divast), linked to the Directorate of Health Surveillance (DVS), was part of the Environment Week program focusing on the direct relationship between climate emergency and the increasing impacts on population health.
The opening panel featured the participation of the Deputy Secretary of Health Policy Management, Heloísa Guimarães; the director of DVS, Rosiana Nobre; the director of Divast, Roberta Souza; the coordinator of Visamb, Virgília Fumian; and representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Council of Municipal Health Secretaries of Pará (Cosems-PA).
During the opening, Deputy Secretary Heloísa Guimarães emphasized the importance of the event given Pará's responsibility as the host of the 30th UN Conference on Climate Change (COP30) in 2025.
"The realization of this event is essential to reinforce that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but a public health emergency. As the host of COP30, we have a duty to lead by example and strengthen surveillance and response to the health impacts caused by floods, wildfires, droughts, and other extreme events. We are building a public policy focused on environmental justice and the protection of life," she stated.
Climate change as an emergency - The director of the Department of Environmental and Worker Health Surveillance, Roberta Souza, highlighted that the goal of the event was to alert managers and society about the direct reflections of extreme climate events on health.
"We have already frequently observed prolonged droughts, floods, and wildfires, which directly affect riverside populations, air quality, food security, and access to drinking water. Sespa works with monitoring these events and issuing alert bulletins, guiding municipalities on how to deal with these situations and minimize health damage," she explained.
She added, highlighting the connection with the themes of COP30. "It is essential that health is integrated into this global debate, as we are talking about respiratory diseases, infectious diseases, malnutrition, mental health, and other serious consequences."
The coordinator of Visamb, Virgília Fumian, reinforced the role of environmental surveillance and the importance of awareness in the context of Environment Week.
"This is a very important moment that leads us to reflect on the real meaning of Environment Week. We are living in a climate emergency scenario. With the approach of COP30, it is essential to reflect on what we can do, as health professionals and also as users of the health system, to contribute to the sustainability of our environment. The representatives of the regional offices make all the difference in our work and also with the municipalities, so that we can act effectively in the face of environmental surveillance programs."
Articulation between environmental surveillance and worker health - The director of DVS, Rosiana Cardoso Nobre, highlighted the integration between the various areas of surveillance and the transformative role of educational actions like the event.
"We are with students, regional representatives, Cosems present, and some municipalities participating. This event is of immense importance. We realize that, in the history we have been living for some years, the environment presents itself to us, often with indifference or lack of knowledge. And this leads to irreversible situations for public health. These are daily habits that cause the illness of the population. Sespa deserves congratulations for bringing such an important theme at this moment we are living."
Good practices and experiences from municipalities - The technical program of the event included lectures and presentations of successful experiences.
Researcher Vanessa Cavaleiro Smith opened the panels with the presentation "From Climate to Body: How Extreme Events Affect Human Health," followed by Marcelo Simões, who addressed the "Challenges of Environmental Disasters on Health." Still in the morning, Adilka Cavalcanti spoke about the visible and invisible impacts of disasters on collective health, and Niccholas Mota presented the effects of heat on workers' health.
In the afternoon, participants followed reports of good practices and local coping solutions. Among the examples presented were the development of artisanal chlorinators for water disinfection in municipal schools in Pacajá; the actions of the municipality of Chaves in response to the drought of 2024; and the Salta-Z project in Marajó, which provided access to treated water for isolated communities.
Integration and environmental justice as a priority - The debates addressed the direct impacts of climate change on the health of the population of Pará, such as the increase in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases aggravated by pollution and extreme heat; the expansion of infectious diseases such as dengue, zika, and chikungunya; the growing risk of food insecurity and malnutrition caused by droughts and agricultural losses; as well as mental disorders related to environmental disasters, such as floods and wildfires.
The event reinforced the importance of integrating public health policies, the environment, and sustainable development. It also highlighted the urgency of strengthening the resilience of health systems through prevention, monitoring, climate adaptation, and environmental justice actions. By bringing together technicians, managers, and specialists in collective health, the meeting reaffirmed Sespa's commitment to aligning health surveillance policies with the challenges of the 21st century, in the global context of climate change.
