Abstract:
As indigenous health scholars we are mindful of the fact that that climate change
is experienced differently in North and South countries, although the impacts
can be equally severe. Climate change and its consequences can affect the
health of impacted communities in different ways. Climate change is currently a
dominant topic of global discourse but remains poorly discussed by indigenous
communities in the countries of the South. Misunderstandings about climate
change, a lack of community-based health data and inadequate knowledge
about progress may limit discussions. Indigenous communities who depend on
land and water for sustenance are hit harder by the effects of climate change
and unpredictable weather events. Unpredictable weather events include
droughts, heat waves, floods and storms which can negatively impact the health
and wellbeing of the population. Thepaper reports the findings of a hermeneutic
literature review that unpacks climate change as a social health determinant and
discusses mitigating indigenous interventions used to cope with the negativeeffects
of climate change. A hermeneutic circle was used as a framework for the
literature review. A contextual interpretive understanding of climate change as
a social determinant was created based on all the papers that were reviewed.
Each paper that was reviewed influenced each new paper that was read and
interpreted; hence the circle. The review yielded three main themes on climate
change as a social determinant of health: climate change extant as a syndrome,
climate change is an inter and trans-generational problem in sub-Saharan countries
and placed-based versus universal health related interventions to address
climate change.
