Ondas de calor e frio na cidade de Manaus: Análise sobre os impactos na saúde das pessoas idosas

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the frequency and magnitude of heat and cold waves in the city of Manaus between 1970 and 2023, seeking to understand their impact on the health of older adults. The research combines quantitative and qualitative approaches, using climate data, records of hospital admissions for circulatory diseases, social vulnerability indicators, thematic maps, and interviews with older adults living in the city. The results showed that heat waves have become more frequent and intense in recent decades, with significant impacts on the cardiovascular health of older adults, especially among those with lower incomes and access to basic services and adequate infrastructure. Hospital admissions were most significant in the 60-79 age group, particularly in neighborhoods located in the East and North zones, where social vulnerability is highest, and in the South zone due to the high number of older adults. The spatial analysis also revealed racial and territorial inequalities, indicating that neighborhoods with a higher proportion of Black and brown people coincide with the territories most affected by high temperatures and with less institutional and economic support. Interviews with older adults reinforced the perception of increasingly intense heat in Manaus, associating it with deforestation, pollution, accelerated urbanization, and wildfires. The results indicate that the effects of heat and cold waves on the health of older adults in Manaus are not uniform, being intensified by historically constructed social, racial, and territorial inequalities. The data showed that climate impacts more intensely affect older adults living in areas with less urban infrastructure, low income, and less public policy coverage. Therefore, the lack of guidance on the risks of heat waves for older adults and the absence of structured preventive measures expose institutional negligence in the face of the intensification of extreme thermal weather events in Manaus.