New World Resources Institute (WRI) analysis, supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, reveals that every $1 invested in preparing for climate-caused health risks can yield up to $68 in benefits for communities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East. Research shows how tools and services like early warning systems and disease surveillance significantly reduce deaths and illness, helping more communities in low- and middle-income countries become more resilient.

With funding from The Rockefeller Foundation, WRI analysed a range of tools and services — such as early warning systems, disease surveillance and public awareness campaigns — across 46 projects in 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (26), Latin America and the Caribbean (7), Asia (4), and the Middle East and North Africa (3).

The research shows that delivering a full package of these tools and services helps governments, hospitals, emergency responders and communities better understand, prepare for, mitigate and respond to the health impacts of extreme heat, weather disasters and other climate risks affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Climate change is emerging as one of the defining public health challenges of our time. Rising temperatures are driving more frequent and severe heatwaves, while floods and extreme weather events are accelerating the spread of infectious diseases and disrupting healthcare systems. This includes, but is not limited to, malaria, dengue, cholera, diarrhea and heatstroke, which disproportionately affect more vulnerable populations. Without stronger action, low- and middle-income countries could face nearly 16 million deaths and more than $20 trillion in economic losses by 2050 from climate-related health impacts. Yet less than half of health ministries currently integrate climate data into national health surveillance systems, according to a forthcoming survey by the World Health Organisation.

The study finds that every $1 invested by low- and middle-income countries in these services can yield $4 to $68 in economic benefits, depending on local conditions and implementation. These investments enable earlier, more targeted action that reduce illness and death — lowering emergency response costs and easing long-term strain on health systems.