The Effects of Extreme Climate Events on Healthcare Access, Mental Health, and Economic Stability Among PLHIV in Brazil

Bibliographic Data

ID24237948
AuthorsAngelo Brandelli Costa (0000-0002-0742-8152), Isadora Graeff Bins Ely (0000-0001-7866-6679), Lara Wiehe Chaves (0009-0001-6106-7546), Kisara Freeman, Lizi Lekveishvili, Guilherme Welter Wendt (0000-0002-9014-6120), Damião Soares De Almeida-Segundo (0000-0003-2407-0583), Laura Dos Santos Boeira (0000-0001-8450-0907)
Year2026
Publication date2026-10-20
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAIDS and Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1090-7165 • E-ISSN: 1573-3254
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s10461-026-05325-w
PMID42900305
OpenAlexW7223054220
LanguageEN
References cited33

Climate change and HIV are intersecting crises, yet their combined impact on Latin America’s HIV care continuum remains understudied. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design with data from the 2024 Brazilian HIV Stigma Index, we examined the consequences of extreme climate events—primarily the May 2024 floods in Porto Alegre—on healthcare access, mental health, and socioeconomic stability among 156 people living with HIV. These events were associated with substantial care disruptions, with many participants reporting rescheduled or canceled medical appointments and laboratory monitoring. Furthermore, 60.5% reported negative mental health impacts and 37.3% suffered household income reductions. Institutional support reached a minority, leaving many reliant on civil society for survival needs. These findings highlight an urgent need for climate-resilient HIV policies integrating mental health care and social protection to sustain treatment adherence during public calamities.

2024 floods · Brazil · civil society support · Climate extremes · Economic stability · health care access · HIV care continuum · Household income · Medication adherence · Mental health · people living with HIV · Porto Alegre · Social protection · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Disaster Response and Management · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions

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