Heart Health, Climate Change and the UNSDGs

Before introducing the specific topic of climate changeClimate change and how it might (and does) influence heart diseaseHeart disease-related events on a global scale, this brief chapter frames this book within the bigger picture of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development GoalsUnited Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in Sustainable development (the 17 goals); 2024. https://sdgs.un.org/goals . Accessed June 2024). It should become clear to the reader that the intersection between heart healthHeart health and climatic conditions spans from the individual to the population level. Throughout, the concept of climatic vulnerabilityClimatic vulnerability versus resilience will be mainly discussed from an individual perspective. However, the broader picture (in the face of a global threat that extends to every horizon) demands we first consider vulnerability and priorities within the global population. In specific terms, who stands to lose most from climate changeClimate change and, more pertinently, who is able to respond to the health issues that arise?