ecocare conference october 19, 2009 peter berry ph.d. climate change and health office health canada...
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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
mb
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of
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
11
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
