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Carlos Corvalan PAHO / WHO Brasilia

Climate change and human health: Public health threats and opportunities. Carlos Corvalan PAHO / WHO Brasilia. Environment and health Climate change and health Action where is needed An agenda for Action.

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Carlos Corvalan PAHO / WHO Brasilia

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  1. Climate change and human health: Public health threats and opportunities Carlos Corvalan PAHO / WHO Brasilia

  2. Environment and healthClimate change and healthAction where is neededAn agenda for Action

  3. Environment and healthClimate change and healthAction where is neededAn agenda for Action

  4. Environment-society-individual interaction on health Causes of the causes Desertification Transport Energy Proximal causes Radiation Chemicals Air pollution Climate change Health Degraded ecosystems etc. Vector breeding sites Water, sanitation Water scarcity Trade Migration Social factors not related to environment Genetic factors

  5. Cardiovasc. diseases Breast cancer Diabetes Respiratory infections Lung cancer Respiratory diseases COPD Cardiovasc. diseases Injuries Diarrhoea Malaria Malaria Injuries Dengue Cardiovasc. diseases etc. Leishmaniasis etc. Malnutrition Intestinal parasites Diarrhoea Drownings Malnutrition etc. Environment-society-individual interaction on health Causes of the causes Physical inactivity Desertification Transport Proximal causes Radiation Chemicals Air pollution Climate change Degraded ecosystems Health etc. Vector breeding sites Water, sanitation Migration Trade Social factors not related to environment Genetic factors

  6. Cardiovasc. diseases Breast cancer Diabetes Respiratory infections Lung cancer Respiratory diseases COPD Cardiovasc. diseases Injuries Diarrhoea Malaria Malaria Injuries Dengue Cardiovasc. diseases etc. Leishmaniasis etc. Malnutrition Intestinal parasites Diarrhoea Drownings Malnutrition etc. Malnutrition Environment-society-individual interaction on health Distal causes Malnutrition Physical inactivity Desertification Transport Proximal causes Radiation Chemicals Air pollution Climate change Degraded ecosystems Health etc. Vector breeding sites Water, sanitation Migration Trade Malnutrition Social factors not related to environment Genetic factors

  7. Environment and healthClimate change and healthAction where is neededAn agenda for Action

  8. Snow reduction in northern hemisphere The warming is real Increase in atmospheric temperature Increase in sea level 1900 2000

  9. Migration Energy Transport Climate change Degraded ecossistems Health Water scarcity Desertification Emerging threats: Climate change Causes of the causes proximal causes Radiation Air pollution Chemicals Vector breeding grounds Water, sanitation

  10. CLIMATE CHANGE The health effects of climate change Some expected impacts will be beneficial but most will be adverse. Expectations are mainly for changes in frequency or severity of familiar health risks • Health effects • Temperature-related illness and death • Extreme weather- related health effects • Air pollution-related health effects • Water and food-borne diseases • Vector-borne and rodent- borne diseases • Effects of food and water shortages • Effects of population displacement Based on Patz et al, 2000

  11. CLIMATE CHANGE The health effects of climate change Some expected impacts will be beneficial but most will be adverse. Expectations are mainly for changes in frequency or severity of familiar health risks • Health effects • Temperature-related illness and death • Extreme weather- related health effects • Air pollution-related health effects • Water and food-borne diseases • Vector-borne and rodent- borne diseases • Effects of food and water shortages • Effects of population displacement Nutrition, food safety Based on Patz et al, 2000

  12. Climate change impact on health > 150 thousand deaths per year Burden of disease by region: Climate change and urban air pollution Disability Adjusted Life Year per million. World Health report 2002. Climate change Air pollution Africa region South-East Asia region Eastern Mediterranean region Latin America and Caribbean region Western Pacific region Developed countries • Cardio- pulmonary diseases • Respiratory infections • Trachea/ bronchus/ lung cancers • Protein-energy malnutrition • Diarrhoeal diseases • Malaria • Unintentional injuries

  13. Environment and healthClimate change and healthAction where is neededAn agenda for Action

  14. Global inequalities: Emissions of greenhouse gases Density equalling cartogram. Countries scaled according to cumulative emissions in billion tonnes carbon equivalent in 2002. Gibbs et al

  15. Global inequities: Health impacts of climate change Density equalling cartogram. WHO regions scaled according to estimated mortality (per million people) in the year 2000, attributable to the climate change that occurred from 1970s to 2000. Gibbs et al

  16. Climate change begins with… The most important public health problems: Food security; Communicable diseases; Disaster risks Water quality and access Disease vectors

  17. Many of the major killers are climate sensitive • Each year:- Undernutrition kills 3.5 million- Diarrhoea kills 2.2 million- Malaria kills over 900 thousandEach of these is highly sensitive to temperature and precipitation

  18. Climate change begins with… The most vulnerable groups: Children under 5; Marginalized rural, urban and indigenous Pregnant women; Elderly people; populations; Displaced persons

  19. The most vulnerable to environmental changes are the least responsible for their cause Climate change: children are the worst affected 88% of the burden of disease attributable to climate change affects children under 5

  20. Climate change begins with… The most vulnerable regions: Low food production; High transmission of climate sensitive diseases; Water scarcity; Island and coastal cities Mountain communities

  21. Environment and healthClimate change and healthAction where is neededAn agenda for Action

  22. Policies and Plans of Action, WHO and PAHO World Health Assembly: Resolution on Climate Change and Health, May 2008 PAHO Directing Council: Action Plan to protecthealth from climate change (Review September 2008)

  23. A strategic approach protect health from climate change Strengthen health systems locally and nationally to protect human health from risks related to climate change. Evidence Sensitization Adaptation Action areas: Partnerships Resouces

  24. Evidence:Promote and support the generation of knowledge on health risks associated with climate change and on the response of the public health sector to this phenomenon. • Actions: • Observatory of climate and health • Strengthen surveillance systems • Support the generation of information on CC

  25. Sensitization: Create awareness of the effects of climate change on health among both the general public and in different sectors including health sector personnel, by • promoting communication and dissemination of information in a multidisciplinary approach. • Actions: • Sensitize decision makers • Promote education, information and communication strategies • Guides on education and capacity building

  26. Resources:Promote the strengthening and development of human resources, • financial resources, institutional development, and policy development. • Actions: • Include CC in health sector policies • Strengthen support to countries in environmental health capacity building • Mobilize resources for research, adaptation, mitigation, etc)

  27. Partnerships:Promote, articulate and establish cross-disciplinary, interagency and intersectoral partnerships to ensure that health protection and promotion is central to • climate change policies. • Actions: • Mitigation policies in the health sector • Networks of experts • Evaluation of the actions in other sectors • Cooperation between countries • Collaborating centres

  28. Adaptation:Strengthen and develop the capacity of health systems to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate adaptation measures with the aim of improving • response capacity to prepare for and effectively respond to the risks of climate change. • Actions: • Evaluation of vulnerability and adaptation • National action plans • Response to emergencies: include climate change issues

  29. Accions, from the local to the global levelAt micro levelRemove the vicious circle of daily survival:Destroy the local environment, cut down, burn, pollute,risking today to eat tomorrow.At macro levelProtect the ability of the planet to support life: water sources, ecosystems, climate. Remove the pattern of consuming today as if there was no tomorrow.

  30. Climate Change: The biggest global health threatof the 21st century?

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