Evaluating the Impacts of Climate Change on Public Health Surveillance Systems across Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review

Southeast Asia experiences a very high rate of vulnerability to climate-related health challenges. High temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting disease patterns are common in this region. The emergence of new disease variants is threatening the region, thus intensifying existing health challenges. These new variants include waterborne diseases, infectious diseases, and heat-related illnesses. This requires the implementation of public health surveillance systems as an effective control measure in the fight against these health risks; however, it is also critical to understanding the nature of the new variants and their relation to climate change. This study seeks to investigate how climate change affects public health surveillance systems in Southeast Asia, paying attention to their ability to cope with the intensity of climate-induced health challenges. This study utilizes the Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), a structured approach that synthesizes findings from scientific studies and existing policy documents. The results show alarming evidence of a lack of effective policies that directly focuses on climate change impacts on public health, a shortage of skilled and qualified health professionals to effectively assist in mitigating and responding to climate-induced health risks. This study, therefore, will alert policymakers to the need for improving policies aiming at a more focused action-oriented climate-health approach. Additionally, communities in Southeast Asia will be equipped with how to fight and cope with climate change health challenges, which is a crucial measure that will be highlighted by this review paper.