Dataset Information

Regional organisations supporting health sector responses to climate change in Southeast Asia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The role played by regional organisations in climate change adaptation and health is growing in Southeast Asia, with the Asian Development Bank and the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Health and Environment both supporting health and adaptation initiatives. There is, however, a lack of empirical research on the value that regional organisations add to national health-related adaptation. This qualitative research compares regional project and governance-based models of adaptation and health support in Southeast Asia, providing an analysis of strengths and weaknesses of each, as well as possibilities for improvement.

Methods

An existing adaptation assessment framework was modified for this research, and used as a guide to gather and analyse data from academic and grey literature, policy documents and interviews in order to qualitatively assess two organisations and their different models of adaptation and health support.

Results

This research found differing strengths in the approaches to climate change and health used by the Asian Development Bank and by the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Health and Environment. The regional forum has vision, high levels of perceived legitimacy, and access to 'in-house' expertise in public health and climate change. Conversely, the Asian Development Bank has strengths in project management and access to significant financial resources to support work in climate change and health.

Conclusion

When regional organisations, such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Health and Environment, have membership and mandate overlaps, their work will likely benefit from well designed, institutionalised and incentivised coordination mechanisms. Coordination can reduce redundancies as well as the administrative workload on partner government agencies. In the case-study examined, the Asian Development Bank's project management expertise complements the vision and high levels of perceived legitimacy of the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Health and Environment, thus a coordinated approach could deliver improved adaptation and health outcomes.

SUBMITTER: Gilfillan D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6091073 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Regional organisations supporting health sector responses to climate change in Southeast Asia.

Gilfillan Daniel D

Globalization and health 20180803 1

<h4>Background</h4>The role played by regional organisations in climate change adaptation and health is growing in Southeast Asia, with the Asian Development Bank and the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Health and Environment both supporting health and adaptation initiatives. There is, however, a lack of empirical research on the value that regional organisations add to national health-related adaptation. This qualitative research compares regional project and governance-based models of adaptatio ...[more]

PMID: 30075785

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a common long-term condition affecting the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders; one in every four New Zealanders is pre-diabetic. M?ori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand, are at an increased risk of developing pre-diabetes and T2D and there are significant inequities between M?ori and non-M?ori for T2D complications. The purpose of this study was to explore the questions of how the strengths of M?ori heath organisations may be leveraged, and how the barriers and constraints experienced by M?ori health organisations may be negotiated, for the benefit of M?ori; and from a systems perspective, to identify strategic opportunities that may be considered and applied by M?ori health organisations, funders and policy makers to respond more effectively to pre-diabetes and reduce health inequities between M?ori and non-M?ori. METHODS:Utilising case study methodology, a range of data sources were triangulated including nine semi-structured interviews, documents, and a diabetes system map to identify possible strategic opportunities for key stakeholders to respond more effectively to pre-diabetes. RESULTS:Key themes and possible actions to improve health outcomes for M?ori with pre-diabetes include: (1) Recognising M?ori health organisations as conduits for the community voice and influential partners in the community to effect change; (2) Strengthened partnerships with M?ori health organisations for community benefit and to support measurable, evidence-based change and service delivery, particularly when M?ori knowledge systems are viewed alongside a Western scientific approach; and (3) Intersectoral integration of health and social services to support provision of wh?nau-centred care and influence the social determinants of health and local environment. CONCLUSIONS:M?ori health organisations are important actors in systems seeking to improve outcomes and eliminate health inequities. Support from funders and policy makers will be required to build on the strengths of these organisations and to overcome system challenges. To realise improved health outcomes for M?ori, the value placed on wh?nau and community perspectives not only needs to be acknowledged in the implementation of health interventions, health and social policies and funding arrangements, but performance measures, service design and delivery must evolve to accommodate these perspectives in practice.

Dataset Information

Regional organisations supporting health sector responses to climate change in Southeast Asia.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Regional organisations supporting health sector responses to climate change in Southeast Asia.

Similar Datasets

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