Climate change as a social health determinant and the mitigating indigenous interventions : a hermeneutic literature review

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.