Carlos Corvalan

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Climate change and human health Public health
threats and opportunities
Carlos Corvalan PAHO / WHO Brasilia
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Environment and healthClimate change and
healthAction where is neededAn agenda for
Action
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Environment and healthClimate change and
healthAction where is neededAn agenda for
Action
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Environment-society-individual interaction on
health
Causes of the causes
Desertification
Transport
Energy
Proximal causes
Radiation
Chemicals
Air pollution
Health
Degraded ecosystems
Climate change
etc.
Vector breeding sites
Water, sanitation
Water scarcity
Trade
Migration
Social factors not related to environment
Genetic factors
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Environment-society-individual interaction on
health
Causes of the causes
Physical inactivity
Desertification
Transport
Proximal causes
Radiation
Chemicals
Air pollution
Degraded ecosystems
Climate change
Health
etc.
Vector breeding sites
Water, sanitation
Migration
Trade
Social factors not related to environment
Genetic factors
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Environment-society-individual interaction on
health
Distal causes
Malnutrition
Physical inactivity
Desertification
Transport
Proximal causes
Radiation
Chemicals
Air pollution
Degraded ecosystems
Climate change
Health
etc.
Vector breeding sites
Water, sanitation
Migration
Trade
Malnutrition
Social factors not related to environment
Genetic factors
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Environment and healthClimate change and
healthAction where is neededAn agenda for
Action
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The warming is real
Increase in atmospheric temperature
Increase in sea level
1900
2000
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Emerging threats Climate change
Causes of the causes
proximal causes
Radiation
Air pollution
Chemicals
Vector breeding grounds
Water, sanitation
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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
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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
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Climate change impact on health
gt 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

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Environment and healthClimate change and
healthAction where is neededAn agenda for
Action
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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
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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
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Climate change begins with
The most important public health problems Food
security Communicable diseases Disaster
risks Water quality and access Disease vectors
 
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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

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Climate change begins with
The most vulnerable groups Children under
5 Marginalized rural, urban and indigenous
Pregnant women Elderly people populations Disp
laced persons
 
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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
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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
 
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Environment and healthClimate change and
healthAction where is neededAn agenda for
Action
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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)
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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
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• 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

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• 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

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• 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)

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• 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

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• 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

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Accions, from the local to the global levelAt
micro levelRemove the vicious circle of daily
survivalDestroy 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.
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Climate Change The biggest global health
threatof the 21st century?
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