Tunisia - Climate and Health Vulnerability Assessment (Policy Brief)

Overview & Synopsis

Climate change is already exacerbating health risks and disrupting service delivery in Tunisia, increasing the burden of heat-related illness, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and vector-borne conditions, while exposing persistent gaps in system performance and access— particularly across underserved regions. For the Ministry of Health, these trends present an immediate policy challenge: rising demand for services is converging with constraints in infrastructure, inputs, and system coordination, threatening continuity of care, widening territorial inequities, and increasing fiscal pressures. The urgency is growing as climate hazards intensify in frequency and severity, placing additional strain on an already stretched system. Addressing this requires a shift from reactive responses to proactive adaptation, with priority actions focused on strengthening health emergency preparedness and response, improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in health facilities, building climate-resilient infrastructure, and reinforcing financing and supply systems to ensure continuity and quality of care under climate stress. This policy note provides evidence collected in the Climate and Health Vulnerability assessment (CHVA), providing insights on key climate hazards, its impacts on the health system infrastructure, and climate sensitive diseases. The note also outlines the health system's capacity challenges and provides actionable recommendations.