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Climate Health Risks and Community Resilience

Climate Health Risks and Community Resilience. John M. Balbus, MD, MPH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Captain Edward A. Pfister , RS, MSPH HHS Environmental Program Manager HHS/OS/ASA/OFMP USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium June 20, 2012.

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Climate Health Risks and Community Resilience

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  1. Climate Health Risks and Community Resilience John M. Balbus, MD, MPH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Captain Edward A. Pfister, RS, MSPH HHS Environmental Program Manager HHS/OS/ASA/OFMP USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium June 20, 2012

  2. http://www.thelastdaysofshishmaref.com/shishmaref3/files/0c/975_949_P1010873.jpghttp://www.thelastdaysofshishmaref.com/shishmaref3/files/0c/975_949_P1010873.jpg

  3. http://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/images/1204alaska_444_lg.jpghttp://www.aaas.org/news/releases/2006/images/1204alaska_444_lg.jpg

  4. The ‘00’s were our hottest decade

  5. FROM: IPCC, 2007 WG1-C1-pg. 115

  6. 2011 had a record number of billion dollar disasters

  7. Climate Change: Temperature rise Sea level rise Hydrologic extremes Potential Health Effects of Climate Change Adapted from J. Patz

  8. How does climate change influence human health? • Direct impacts of climate change, weather, and sea level rise on humans • Heat stress • Weather-disease curves • Storms, weather extremes • Impacts of climate change on physical and chemical agents • Air pollution effects • Fate and transport of toxic chemicals • Ozone depletion interactions

  9. How does climate change influence human health? • Impacts of weather and climate change on biological agents • Microbes (including algae) • Plants (pollens, poisons) • Zoonoses, including VBD’s • Impacts of climate change and sea level rise on fundamental life support • Water availability • Food/crop productivity • Shelter

  10. Climate Change and Health

  11. A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change • Identifies research needed to better understand the health effects of climate change, and choose the healthiest mitigation and adaptation strategies: • 11 Health Consequences Categories • Crosscutting issues www.niehs.nih.gov/climatereport

  12. Eleven Human Health and Disease Categories • Asthma, respiratory allergies, and airway diseases • Cancer • Cardiovascular disease and stroke • Foodborne diseases and nutrition • Heat-related morbidity and mortality • Human developmental effects • Mental health and stress-related disorders • Neurological diseases and disorders • Vectorborne and zoonotic diseases • Waterborne diseases • Weather-related morbidity and mortality

  13. 1st set of NIH Population Vulnerability to Climate Change grantees

  14. Allaffect human health http://www.ipcc.ch/graphics/graphics/ar4-wg1/ppt/figure02.ppt#278,22,Figure 2.21

  15. Adaptation is a response, the actions necessitated by the actual or anticipated impacts of climate change. Climate Change: Adaptation and Mitigation • Mitigation is the effort to stop or slow climate change, usually by reducing the GHG emissions driving the problem. • Two prongs used in concert: mitigation reduces impacts, making it adaptation easier .

  16. Potential Co-benefits of GHG Mitigation Policies • Energy generation – decreased air pollution • Transportation – increased physical activity, decreased air pollution, decreased injuries from collisions • Agriculture – reduced red meat consumption – Livestock has a huge GHG footprint (deforestation, water, transport, refrigeration…) • Agriculture – improved nutrition

  17. Potential Co-benefits of GHG Mitigation Policies • For example, transportation policies that augment the use of public transportation or provide safer and more convenient means for individuals to walk or bicycle Co-benefits: • reductions in toxic air pollution • Increases in physical activity

  18. Adaptation principles • Climate change as stress multiplier • Focus on vulnerability of people (and/or health systems) to climate change; assure continuity of services • Impact is proportional to baseline prevalence of climate-sensitive diseases– prepare for future impacts of climate change on health • Address existing health disparities in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma • Address upstream determinants of health • Investigate health implications of major climate change policy decisions • Importance of urban infrastructure • options/strategies to respond to identified current and future health risks

  19. President’s Climate Adaptation Task Force: Health Recommendation • Protect human health by addressing climate change in public health activities • Enhance the ability of Federal decision makers to incorporate health considerations into adaptation planning • Build integrated public health surveillance and early warning systems to improve detection of climate change health risks • Promote resilience of individuals and communities to climate‐related health risks

  20. Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative Category 1: Assessment and Planning to Develop Climate Change Programs • 4 States and 1 City HD • $80k - $120k / yr / 3 yrs • Activities • Agency needs assessment • Early strategic plan implementation • Partnership building & engagement with other initiatives • Strategic plan development

  21. Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative Category 2: Building Capacity to Implement Climate Change Programs and Adaptations 4 States and 1 City HD $150k - $250k / yr / 3 yrs Activities • Strategic Plan Implementation • Identification and prediction of health impacts & population & system vulnerabilities • Develop & tailor health programs • Identify co-benefits and unintended consequences of policies, programs and projects in other sectors (HIA)

  22. Climate Change Adaptation: 2012 HHS Environmental Justice Strategy HHS can improve the resiliency of vulnerable individuals and marginalized communities, through increased understanding of the human health impacts of climate change and preparedness planning at the state and local levels. Health outcomes that are sensitive to climate change include asthma, cardiovascular disease, stroke, heat-related illnesses and deaths, and mental and stress-related disorders.

  23. Focus: Climate Change intersections with major HHS efforts

  24. Highlights of High-Level Vulnerability Analysis for HHS • Protecting the most vulnerable: health and human services in the face of weather extremes and climate threats • Office on Disability • Administration for Children and Families • Administration on Aging, Center for Medicare Services • Indian Health Service • Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response • Incorporating Climate Change Considerations into Regulatory Decisions • FDA • Incorporating Climate Change Considerations into Public Health Practice and Research • CDC, ATSDR, NIH

  25. Summary • Climate change is having significant impacts on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations in the United States and around the world • While health adaptation is essential, it is equally important to highlight the health promotion benefits of climate change mitigation measures ‘ • Necessary to integrate climate change , disparity awareness, and health and environmental impact considerations into internal management functions and policies • The Commissioned Corps, as a cadre of public health professionals, has a critical role to play in improving community resilience

  26. Thank you!Questions?

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