ecocare conference october 19, 2009 peter berry ph.d. climate change and health office health canada...

EcoCare ConferenceOctober 19, 2009

Peter Berry Ph.D.Climate Change and Health OfficeHealth Canada

Human Health in a Changing Climate

“Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century”

Lancet and UCL, 2009

• Over 300,000 deaths per year

• Over 300 million people severely affected each year

• Over 100 billion US dollars of economic losses each year

• Over 20 million climate displaced people, with 1 million more each year

Key Climate Impacts Today

(Global Humanitarian Forum, 2009)

Climate Change Impacts on Health

McMichael and Bertollini, 2009

World Health Organization (2008) – Protecting Health in Europe from a

Changing Climate

USA - Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States (2009)

European Environment Agency (2008) – Impacts of Europe’s Changing Climate

Australia - Climate Change in Australia (2008)

UN Food and Agriculture Organization – Climate Change: Implications for Food Safety

Climate Change and Children: A Human Security Challenge (Unicef, 2008)

Climate Change: Impact on Agriculture and Costs of Adaptation (Nelson et

al, 2009)

Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions (Richardson et al,

2009)

Recent Reports - International

Human Health in a Changing Climate: A Canadian Assessment

of Vulnerabilities and Adaptive Capacity (Health Canada, 2008)

Emergency Management: Taking a Health Perspective (Health Canada, 2009)

Climate Change and Health in British Columbia (2008)

Climate Change and Extreme Weather: Designing Adaptation Policy (Henstra and McBean, 2009)

From Impacts to Adaptation (NRCan, 2008)

Recent Reports - Canadian

Table of Contents

Introduction: Health in a Changing Climate

Assessment Methods

Impacts of Climate Change on Water, Food, Vector and Rodent-borne Diseases in Canada

Air Quality, Climate and Health

Canadian Vulnerabilities to Natural Hazards and Extreme Weather

Health Impacts of Climate Change in Quebec

Health Impacts of Climate Change in Canada’s North

Vulnerabilities, Adaptation and Adaptive Capacity in Canada

Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment

Air Quality Under 4 degree increase in temperature ozone

levels would increase in Canadian communities

Most affected areas – Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg

Largest increase in Windsor – Quebec corridor

312 more deaths

4.6% increase in health burden to Canadian society related to air pollution over 3-month summer period ($1.3 Bil)

PM2.5 levels to decrease

Climate change will increase risksassociated with some infectious diseases

Possible spread of I. Scapularis in Canada under climate change

• Drowning, injuries

• Shock, hyperthermia, cardiac arrest

• Wound infections; dermatitis; conjunctivitis; gastrointestinal illnesses; ear, nose, and throat infections; water-borne diseases

• Psychosocial disturbances

• Waterborne infections (enterogenic Escherichia coli, Shigella, hepatitis A, leptospirosis, giardiasis, campylobacteriosis), dermatitis, conjunctivitis

• Vector-borne diseases

• Electrocutions, injuries; lacerations; skin punctures

• Food shortage, disruption of emergency response

Health Impacts from Floods

Frequency of Natural Disasters in Canada

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Nu

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Na

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l D

isa

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1900-09 1910-19 1920-29 1930-39 1940-49 1950-59 1960-69 1970-79 1980-89 1990-99 2000-06

10 Year Period

Frequency of Natural Disasters in Canada (1900-2006)

Wildfires

Avalanches

Cold Waves/Heat Waves

Droughts

Earthquakes/Landslides

Floods

Freezing Rain

Hail/Thunderstorms

Hurricane/Typhoon

Storms

Tornados

Tsunamis/Storm Surges

Canadian Disaster Database, 2006

Temperature-Mortality Relationships

Gosselin et al., 20082020 – 150 deaths 2050 – 550 deaths 2080 – 1400 deaths

Extreme Heat - Vulnerable Populations

Seniors Pre-existing disease Social factors (living alone) Use of certain drugs (e.g.,

antidepressants, alcohol, diuretics

Impaired cognition (e.g., dementia)

Housing (e.g., floor) Lack of air conditioning Physical activity – overexertion

or inactivity

2006 – seniors 13% of population2031 – seniors 25% of population

Ocean Acidification

Climate System Surprises

Melting of Polar Ice

Adaptation Matters – Heat alert and response systems

Europe

WHO study indicated that most of the 70,000 heat wave deaths in Europe in 2003 were preventable

Recent study (2008) indicates that a similar heat wave in France in 2006 lead to approx. 4,000 less deaths due to implementation of alert system

United States1995 heat wave in US mid-west caused 514 deaths in Chicago

Similar heat wave in 1999 resulted in only 119 deaths due to better response plans

“In the face of what we know about the serious threats posed by climate change to health, the question today is not whether public health action is necessary, but what to do and how to do it. Health systems should respond by helping to strengthen disease control and health protection.”

Dr. Marc DanzonWHO Regional Director for Europe2008

The Adaptation Imperative

“International Day for Disaster Reduction 2009: Urgent action needed to protect hospitals from natural hazards”

WHO, October 14, 2009

“WHO urges hospitals to join climate change battle”

National Post, May 22, 2009

Adaptation Challenges

•What information not merely informs but changes behaviour?

•What is adaptation? What is needed to do to adapt?•New activity? (e.g., heat alert system)•Better activities? (e.g., public outreach – “maladaptation”)•More activities? (e.g., expanded surveillance)

• How do you “mainstream” adaptation?•acquire information about implications of future climate •consider climate in routine risk assessments•institutionalize climate considerations into assessment and planning

•How do you take a multi-sectoral/jurisdictional approach? •federal, provincial/territorial, municipal level collaboration•health considerations in multi-sectoral planning

•What are the costs of adapting? What are the costs of not adapting?

Knowledge of Health Risks

dk/na

Water quality impacts

Poor nutrition/food supply

Heat stroke

Air quality impacts

Cancer

Infectious diseases/West Nile/pandemic flu

Respiratory/breathing problems 22

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11

11

8

6

5

34

How climate change affects health of CanadiansTop mentions 2008

9

Environics, 2008

Vulnerability of Canadians

Environics, 2008

Protection from Climate Change Health Impacts

Buy green products/avoid non-green products

Stay indoors during/watch out for bad weather

Upgrade home heating/cooling/ventilation

Conserve water/avoid tainted water

Dress for the weather

Eat healthier/organic food

Increase energy efficiency

Less vehicle usage/fuel consumption

Recycle/reduce garbage

Protect self/family from sun

At least one action 51

25

11

7

6

4

4

3

3

3

3

Steps taken in past year to protect fromclimate change health impactsTop mentions 2008

17

Environics, 2008

Health Portfolio Activities on Climate Change

• Extreme Heat and Health

• Adaptation in Northern Communities

• Climate–related Infectious Diseases

Health Canada’s Extreme Heat Initiative

Heat Alert and Response Systems

•Pilot systems in Canadian communities•Best practices guidebook•Health messaging to change behaviour

Health Professional Interventions and Training

•Development of clinical guidelines •Development of training materials

Pilot heat alert and response systems

Windsor, ON

Fredericton, NB

Winnipeg, MN

Assiniboine Region, MN

http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E91347.pdf

Heat health messaging

Challenges:

Scientific basis for messages

Changing behaviour of vulnerable populations

Reaching public health authorities

Reaching caregivers

Clinical guidelines

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics

•Doctors•Nurses•Home caregivers•Paramedics•Pharmacists•Coaches•Teachers

Canadians possess the knowledge, institutions and skills to reduce climate change health risks

BUT – these resources must be harnessed to address the challenges ahead:

public health officials should be engaged and supported

public health programs should be ``mainstreamed``

best practices for adaptation must be identified

collaborative partnerships must be built

More informationMore information Peter_Berry@hc-sc.gc.ca

Climatinfo@hc-sc.gc.ca