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Climate change is predicted to exert further stress on already exploited ecologies and healthcare systems, added to this, the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has signified a stimulus to revolutionize existing models of sustainable development in broad, and sustainable supply chains in the healthcare sector in particular. The Kruger to Canyons biosphere region in South Africa and the Amazonas state in Brazil serve as geographic case studies for this paper. The impact of economic globalization, natural catastrophes such as droughts, economic and geopolitical stresses, deforestation, economic and healthcare access inequalities in these two biomes converge with issues of climate change, and undercut coping mechanisms that are customarily used to oversee extreme events such as pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened many of the economic and social difficulties which South Africa and Brazil are already facing. In comparison to Brazil, South Africa’s overall response to the pandemic can be regarded as a standout. By borrowing from best practices from prior public health responses to heath emergencies in South Africa, such as the tuberculosis and the HIV/AIDS crisis, South Africa has demonstrated its comparatively successful means of dealing with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a 50% possibility that global temperatures will have risen by more than 5 °C by the year 2100. As demands on Earth's systems grow more unsustainable, human security is clearly at stake. This narrative review provides an overview and synthesis of findings in relation to climate change, air pollution, and human health within the Global South context, focusing on case study geographic locations in South Africa and Brazil. Two case study regions—the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere region of South Africa and the Amazon region of Brazil—were the subjects of PubMed literature searches. Technical reports, policy briefs, and grey literature were also narratively synthesized. The burning of wood for fuel, as witnessed in Agincourt, and forest fires, such as those seen in the Amazon rainforest, release air pollutants such as methane and black carbon, which are strong short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) which fuel climate change and adversely affect human health. SLCPs have a brief lifetime in the atmosphere, but they frequently have a far larger potential for global warming than carbon dioxide (CO2). Most air pollution in geographic case study areas, that are home to human settlements, is due to the burning of wood and other biomasses that are pollutants. These areas are seen to be important for climate and health responses, and if constructive action is taken to switch to other modes of electricity generation (such as solar power) and the prevention of deforestation, the worst of the impacts may still be mitigated in these regions. Authorities should also establish a monitoring strategy for air quality, as well as enforce air quality regulations that safeguard public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]