The 2024 South America ablaze: health impacts and policy imperatives for protecting population health in an era of wildfires

Abstract

The 2024 wildfires in South America, particularly in the Amazon and Pantanal, were not only a disaster for ecosystems, but also for public health and people's health and wellbeing. These record-breaking fires were likely driven by overlapping triggers: climate change-related heat and droughts and human-driven land-use change. We documented that rapidly evolving wildfires together with limited preparedness and slow responses from emergency and health agencies resulted in severe health impacts, including several fatalities and thousands people displaced, injured, and/or with cardiorespiratory symptoms. These, however, partially represent the situation as mental health outcomes were largely unrecorded and other impacts are yet to be seen. In a climate increasingly prone to severe wildfires, comprehensive action is key. Integrated disaster risk reduction strategies, strengthened health systems, and improved risk communication are essential to protect human health from this escalating threat.