Table 2 Challenges and proposed solutions for climate and health activity implementation identified by study participants
Implementation challenges | Proposed solutions |
|---|---|
Funding | Support from external organizations on identifying viable and sustainable funding sources. Expanded federal programs to support state and local-level climate and health programs |
State and agency-level prioritization of climate and health | Advocacy at the national level from organizations like the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), ASTHO, etc. to raise the profile of climate as an urgent issue Normalize inclusion of public health in climate related work Engage leaders in conversations early Adopt a “climate in all policies” approach |
Political will and polarization | Advocacy at the national level from organizations like NACCHO, ASTHO, etc |
Staff capability and capacity | Consider agency restructuring to better accommodate and support activities Develop guides to identify engagement strategies and outline responsibilities of different agencies in climate activities Academic partnerships specifically tailored towards collection, analysis, dissemination of data, and training to enhance expertise |