Extreme Weather Events Under A Changing Climate: A Brief Context For Brazil And The Role Of The Health Sector

Disasters have economic and human impacts that can become more intense with climate change. In Brazil, disasters have increased, both in number and in cost, in recent decades. This situation is favored, in part, by urbanization, continued vulnerable social conditions, and the prioritization of crisis management at the expense of risk management. The health sector has an important role in assisting and improving the management of disasters for the prevention of morbidity, mortality, and health risks. This is especially true regarding actions that mitigate the direct (e.g., deaths, disabilities) and indirect (e.g., infrastructure, conditions) impacts of extreme events. This chapter presents a brief reflection on the current state of disasters in Brazil, how they impact population health, and how the issue has been addressed by public policy.