Background: Climate change poses an escalating threat to human health. Israel is particularly vulnerable to climate changes, expected to exacerbate the burden on a health system already strained by budget and workforce erosion, equipment shortages, and security challenges. This study explores barriers and opportunities for advancing climate resilience in Israel’s healthcare system to inform a tailored national policy framework.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 key stakeholders across the Ministry of Health, hospitals, and health funds, reflecting institutional and geographic diversity. Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), interviews explored current efforts, barriers, facilitators, and policy development. Data were thematically analyzed through structured coding and inductive theme development.
Results: Findings reveal a significant gap between the urgency of climate-related health risks and their low prioritization in the health system. The absence of a national policy framework to guide, fund, and coordinate climate resilience efforts emerged as a critical barrier limiting strategic planning, resource allocation, and institutional engagement. Additional barriers include limited awareness among healthcare professionals and competing priorities. The findings reveal an opportunity to leverage Israel’s emergency preparedness systems to integrate climate resilience through an All-Hazards Approach. Reframing climate resilience in the health system as part of national security priorities could strengthen policy alignment and resource mobilization, enabling more integrated and effective responses across overlapping emergency domains.
Conclusion: Building climate resilience in Israel’s healthcare system requires elevating climate-health to a strategic priority. A unified framework aligning health and national resilience goals may offer an effective path forward.
