Climate Crisis Poses Growing Health Challenges in Sweden: Expert Dialogue Highlights Risks and Preparedness

In the small Swedish town of Bergsvik, a severe fictional flooding scenario illustrates the critical health impacts that climate change could inflict on Swedish communities. The heavy rains disrupt essential services as the mobile network becomes unstable, electrical substations flood, and drinking water contamination arises due to an overwhelmed sewage system. Vulnerable populations, including residents in elderly care homes, face evacuation in hazardous conditions with no elevator access and power outages, while schools close as rising floodwaters reach classrooms.

This hypothetical but plausible scenario serves as a dire warning of the climate-induced crises Sweden might increasingly encounter. It provokes reflection on societal vulnerabilities and challenges in public health infrastructure and crisis response.

An interdisciplinary seminar convened by the Umeå Transformation Research Initiative (UTRI) and Sustainable Health in Partnership (SHIP) explored these concerns, bringing together experts from ecology, philosophy, medicine, global health, and virology to discuss climate change’s health impacts in Sweden. The conversation focused on vulnerable groups, ethical and social considerations, and improving preparedness for such emergencies. Moderated by Sverker Olofsson, panelists—including Magnus Evander, Maria Furberg, Sofia Jeppsson, Daniel Metcalfe, and Karin Tegmark Wisell—addressed issues of trust, responsibility, and the application of scientific knowledge in managing climate-related health crises.

While Sweden grapples with these domestically relevant challenges, it is simultaneously reducing its international health aid. According to Concord, Sweden’s health-related aid contributions have declined from 6.6 billion SEK in 2021 to approximately 5.1 billion SEK in 2024—a 10% drop between 2023 and 2024. This reduction affects global efforts against diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, which disproportionately impact children and vulnerable populations worldwide.

Åsa Regnér, Secretary General of Save the Children, emphasized that these cuts harm children's health and undermine support for women’s rights organizations. The decline also reflects a broader global trend, with other major donors such as the USA, Germany, France, and the UK decreasing health aid consecutively for two years.

This juxtaposition of internal preparedness challenges alongside international aid reductions highlights the complex landscape of health in the era of climate change. Sweden faces pressing questions about how to secure public health in the face of escalating climate risks while balancing its global health responsibilities.

The full 90-minute interdisciplinary dialogue is available through Umu-play as part of a seminar series titled 'New Perspectives on Sustainable Health.'