Tackling Climate Change Through Public Health
By Office of the President | Sep 23, 2025
Climate change is more than an environmental crisis; it is a critical public health emergency. Rising heat, worsening air quality, and frequent floods fuel higher asthma rates, increasing heat-related illnesses, and straining hospital systems. Beyond these direct health effects, extreme weather events disrupt housing, energy, and food access, resulting in unemployment, lost wages, and destabilizing entire communities. The burden falls most heavily on vulnerable populations, deepening longstanding health disparities.
Amid these growing challenges, Giovanna Braganza, MPH, a Downstate School of Public Health alumna, is among those at the forefront of connecting
climate change to health outcomes and policy solutions. A public health researcher
and passionate environmental justice advocate, Giovanna focuses on the intersection
of climate, equity, and the social drivers of health. Her vision is to develop innovative,
cost-effective strategies that build climate-resilient communities using data to inform
stronger and more responsive public policy.
Giovanna recently contributed to Climate Change and Health: Understanding the Ripple Effects on Communities and Care, a report that illustrates how climate change is reshaping physical health, housing stability, wages, and healthcare costs. Packed with 18 data-rich charts, maps, and analyses, the report makes a clear case for tackling today’s health risks while planning for long-term resilience. Giovanna’s work shows how public health research can translate complex evidence into real-world policies that protect communities and strengthen care systems.
Giovanna earned her Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management, where she co-led grassroots and legislative campaigns through Right to Health Action (R2HA) to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on marginalized communities. Today, she serves as a Senior Research Analyst at the United Hospital Fund, conducting analyses to strengthen New York’s Medicaid program, which serves nearly seven million residents.
Her path reflects Downstate’s mission to advance equity, resilience, and health for all communities, and her work demonstrates how alums are helping lead the way on today’s most urgent public health challenges.
Tags: School of Public Health, Research