With sustained technical cooperation from PAHO, the Bahamas finalized and launched its Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP) in late 2024, establishing a coherent framework to integrate environmental considerations, including climate change, into national health planning and decision-making.  

PAHO supported a nationally led process that combined technical guidance, targeted training, and institutional coordination to ensure that climate-related health risks were systematically assessed and addressed within the broader architecture of the country’s National Adaptation Plan. The resulting HNAP defines clear priority areas, targets, and actions to manage climate-sensitive health risks, strengthening alignment between health, climate, and development agendas. PAHO further supported capacity development through training on the preparation of comprehensive health chapters within National Adaptation Plans and by providing technical and financial inputs to the development of concept notes for climate financing, facilitated through the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre. These efforts enhanced national readiness to mobilize resources and translate strategic priorities into implementable investments.

Building on the HNAP, PAHO supported initial implementation priorities focused on strengthening evidence generation and early warning systems for climate-sensitive diseases, reinforcing health workforce capacities, and promoting the transition of health facilities toward low‑carbon and climate‑resilient models. Support also included preparatory work for health-focused climate investment planning.  

These achievements strengthen governance and resilience by embedding climate considerations into health system planning, enhancing institutional capacity, and positioning the health sector to anticipate, adapt to, and mitigate climate-related risks to population health over the medium term.