ReviewInternational journal of environmental research and public health2018
Impacts of Climate Change on Health and Wellbeing in South Africa.
Review in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 39 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic review investigating emerging trends between Extreme Weather Events (EWEs) and infectious disease outbreaks in South Africa.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Understanding How Community Wellbeing is Affected by Climate Change: Evidence From a Systematic Literature Review.Environmental management · 2023Pooled it
- The Implications of Climate Change on Health among Vulnerable Populations in South Africa: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Climate change adaptation in South Africa: a case study on the role of the health sector.Globalization and health · 2019Pooled it
- Planetary health in practice: A scoping review of education and training for nurses and midwives.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2026Review
- Urban climate-NCD syndemics in LMICs: a transdisciplinary framework for Health action.Global health action · 2026Article
- Emergency preparedness and disaster management for primary health care in Africa from the perspective of climate hazards and extreme weather events.African journal of primary health care & family medicine · 2026Article
- Effects of heat exposure on self-reported heat strain symptoms among pregnant and postpartum women in South Africa.npj digital public health · 2026Article
- Experiences of Community Members and Health Workers Regarding Malaria Control Programmes in the Rural Ingwavuma Community, uMkhanyakude District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.Public health challenges · 2025Article
- Australian and New Zealand nursing and midwifery educators' planetary health knowledge, views, confidence and teaching practices: A descriptive survey study.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Article
- Climate Change and Its Health Impact in South Africa: A Scoping Review Protocol.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- The nexus between food security, health outcomes, and climate change: a multisectoral approach to sustainable development in Africa.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Women, Girls, and the Climate Crisis: Advancing Reproductive Health and Rights and Gender Equality in Climate Policies at ICPD+30.Studies in family planning · 2025Article
- The mental health impact of the climate and ecological crisis on vulnerable populations in Africa.Cogent mental health · 2025Review
- Article
- Assessing Sub-Saharan Africa's readiness to address the impact of climate change and health: A scoping review.PloS one · 2025Article
- Climate change, air pollution and chronic respiratory diseases: understanding risk factors and the need for adaptive strategies.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2025Review
- Knowledge and attitude of nurses in primary health care regarding climate change in Mpumalanga.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2025Article
- Emergency specialists' perceptions of climate-related health and education in South Africa.Journal of the colleges of medicine of South Africa · 2025Article
- International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and climate action: an intersecting agenda.Sexual and reproductive health matters · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Given its associated burden of disease, climate change in South Africa could be reframed as predominately a health issue, one necessitating an urgent health-sector response. The growing impact of climate change has major implications for South Africa, especially for the numerous vulnerable groups in the country. We systematically reviewed the literature by searching PubMed and Web of Science. Of the 820 papers screened, 34 were identified that assessed the impacts of climate change on health in the country. Most papers covered effects of heat on health or on infectious diseases (20/34; 59%). We found that extreme weather events are the most noticeable effects to date, especially droughts in the Western Cape, but rises in vector-borne diseases are gaining prominence. Climate aberration is also linked in myriad ways with outbreaks of food and waterborne diseases, and possibly with the recent Listeria epidemic. The potential impacts of climate change on mental health may compound the multiple social stressors that already beset the populace. Climate change heightens the pre-existing vulnerabilities of women, fishing communities, rural subsistence farmers and those living in informal settlements. Further gender disparities, eco-migration and social disruptions may undermine the prevention-but also treatment-of HIV. Our findings suggest that focused research and effective use of surveillance data are required to monitor climate change's impacts; traditional strengths of the country's health sector. The health sector, hitherto a fringe player, should assume a greater leadership role in promoting policies that protect the public's health, address inequities and advance the country's commitments to climate change accords.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.