Public health and climate change in the Republic of Kiribati

The Republic of Kiribati is one of the world’s most vulnerable nations facing climate change today. As the ocean impedes on the nation’s land, it diminishes the naturally occurring fresh water supplies and erodes livable space. Public health concerns within the country as a result have included spikes in vector borne diseases, diarrheal infections and malnutrition. Public health is an applied discipline that requires practitioners not only to focus on the reduction of illness, but also on the social inequalities that contribute to the growth of such conditions. I-Kiribati (Kiribati citizens) live on the frontlines of climate change. They have been facing many challenges the rest of the world has yet to realize. Climate change as a public health concern in Kiribati is a reality that impacts the lives of residents. Using a social ecological model rather than theories aimed at individual behavioral change is a more effective way to reduce population vulnerability to health impacts. This requires immediate collective action for the health and well-being of the larger global community