Climate Change and Health Week:Integrating CC in Research, Teaching & Health ServicesProf Hanna-Andrea Rother

Head – Division of Environmental Health

School of Public Health and Family Medicine, UCT

Introduction – Purpose of CC & Health Week

• American Public Health Association (APHA) at 2017 conference encouraged for all health related work to include climate change

• Inspiration for Division of EH CC and Health week spearheaded by Mary Miller –Fulbright Visiting Scholar in SPHFM

• For all staff and students to ponder how to include CC in their current work/studies or to expand on current focus.

Today’s Programme for Engaging with CC in our Work

• Andrea Rother - Introduction

• Christie Godsmark - Climate Change and Health Christie - A Call to Action

• James Irlam - Primary Health Care Implications

• Leslie London - Human Rights Issues

• Sheona Shackleton - ACDI’s activities

• Student Reps James van Duuren & Robyn Kamau (SHAWCO) & RefilweMofokeng (Green Campus Initiative)

• Andrea Rother: Q&A/discussion (and Mentimeter Word Cloud)

WHO CC & Health Facts –Research / Teaching Areas – What’s Missing?

• Climate change impacts social and environmental determinants of health –clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter.

• 2030 and 2050 - CC predicated to impact approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea & heat stress.

• Direct damage costs to health (i.e. excluding costs in health-determining sectors such as agriculture and water and sanitation), is estimated to be between USD 2-4 billion/year by 2030.

• Areas with weak health infrastructure – mostly in LMIC – least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond.

• Reducing greenhouse gases emissions through better transport, food & energy-use choices can improve health, particularly through reduced air pollution.

http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health

What are the research, teaching & health services opportunities for UCT staff and students?

Source: CDC -https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm

What areas relevant for LMIC are not being researched?

What opportunities are we missing?

Current Postgrad Student Research Topics in Division of Environmental Health

PhD:Climate change impact on Zimbabwean farmers exposure to

endocrine disrupting pesticides

Climate related heat stress and South African outdoor workers

MPH:Climate change, air quality and child asthma cases in WCClimate change impact on food insecurity and disaster management

in WCClimate change impact on violent behavior Impact of temperature increases on urban pests and use of

pesticides in WC

Division of EH CC Work• CC & Health in the WC

CHEC/WCG – Christie presenting

• Health Policy - WUN collaboration –NCDs & CC; International Consortium for Urban Environmental Health & Sustainability

• GCRF Application 1 – Clean Air Low Carbon Cities - Global

• GCRF Application 2 – Networking Air Pollution & NCDs Africa

• Building an environmentally sustainable medical curriculum & CC in Medical Curricula – AMEE & international collaborators

• CSIR – heat stress WfW, Vulnerability, PhD Pesticides & EDCs

WUN collaboration Chapter In Press

Chapter 23

A Collaborative Framework Highlighting Climate Sensitive Non-Communicable Diseases in Urban Sub-Saharan Africa

Rother, Hanna-Andrea1#, Sabel, Clive E.2#, and Vardoulakis, Sotiris3*

1Professor and Head, Division of Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa

2Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark

3Research Director, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh, U.K.

*Co-Chair and #Members, Healthy-Polis International Consortium for Urban Environmental Health and Sustainability (www.healthy-polis.org)

Abstract

Climate change vulnerabilities are key environmental and social determinants of health, particularly in Africa where public health and other infrastructure are not yet geared toward counteracting the potential impacts of changing climates. Health related climate change adaptation research for Africa is limited and what research has been conducted is not effectively translated into practical advice for decision makers. A World University Network (WUN) collaboration started in 2016 and continues to research on climate change impacts on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in global, including African, urban areas. This interdisciplinary collaboration, established through the Healthy-Polis International Consortium for Urban Environmental Health and Sustainability, focuses on the intersection of health, climate, and sustainability within urban environments through innovative research methods, co-production of knowledge, capacity building (including research translation and training), and intervention development and evaluation. NCDs (e.g., cancers, asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health) are on the increase in African urban areas and can be further aggravated by climate change. If NCDs and the climate nexus are unaddressed,

CC and Health Teaching Programmes in DoEH– School of Public Health & Family Medicine • Master of Public Health (MPH) –

Environmental Health Track• Climate Change, Pollution and Health

Course• Children’s Environmental Health Course

• 4th year Medical Student Block• Environmental Health (environmental

history taking) and Climate Change (the role of the health professional)

Opportunities for Including CC in LMIC Work

• Climate change impact on HIV/AIDs

• CC impact on Women’s Health

• CC impact on Men’s Health

• Economics of CC

• Ethical, social & behavioural impacts of CC

• Medicine’s role in mitigating CC effects

ENGAGE

DISCUSS

ACT

CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH WEEK SEMINARS 13-16 August 2018

• Tuesday 14 August: 16:00-17:30 - Post Graduate Seminar 1, Barnard Fuller

SEMINAR: Dr Sophie Cairncross-Kisting - Climate Change and the Health System in South Africa o How our Public Institutions need to anticipate health impacts of Climate Change

• Wednesday 15 August: 17:00 - 19:00 - Wolfson Auditorium

PRESENTATION AND PANEL: National Policy, Emergency Preparedness & Local Initiatives

o James Irlam: Introduction o Bono Nemukula - Deputy Director: Environmental Health - Climate Change

▪ SA National Dept of Health - National Government Policy (TBC) o Professor Edda Weimann - Paediatric Endocrinologist - Green Hospitals o Robyn Kamau, 3rd year medical student; SHAWCO representative o Tristan Gorgens – Western Cape Government - Disability and Climate Change (TBC)

• Thursday 16 August: 12:00-13:00 – Falmouth Building, 1st Floor, Seminar Room 2

SEMINAR: Andrea Rother & Team o Q-storming: Interactive session learning how to integrate climate change into your current work

Facilitated by Prof Hanna-Andrea Rother, HoD, Environmental Health) o Discussion of Faculty Survey

Visit Our New Web Page: Climate Change and Health

What word describes the action you can take to incorporate health and climate change into your current work and teaching?

• Log into Mentimeter

• Go to www.menti.com and use the code 72 65 31

What would prevent you from including CC in your current work?• Log into Mentimeter

• Go to www.menti.com and use the code 36 95 2