Taking Action to Protect Health from Climate Change Carlos Corvalan – PAHO/WHO Global Workshop to Evaluate Guides to Assess Health Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change 20-23 July 2010 San José, Costa Rica

Taking Action to Protect Health from Climate Change Carlos Corvalan – PAHO/WHO Global Workshop to Evaluate Guides to Assess Health Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change 20-23 July 2010 San José, Costa Rica

Basic concepts The Climate Change challenge An agenda for action

What constitutes Health? Physical, mental health? Social well-being? Everything?

What constitutes the environment? Physical, Chemical, Biological agents? Social, cultural environment? Everything?

What is Environmental Health? Environmental health refers to those aspects of human health or disease which are determined by environmental factors It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing and controlling environmental factors which can harm human health, or promoting those which protect health

Respiratory infections Injuries Physical inactivity Respiratory diseases Cardiovasc. diseases Diabetes Cancer Environment-society-individual interaction on health Causes of the causes Lung cancer Respiratory infections COPD Cardiovasc. diseases Migration Energy Transport Direct causes Radiation Air pollution Chemicals Malaria Cardiovasc. diseases Injuries etc. Malnutrition Diarrhoea Climate change Health Degraded ecosystems Malaria Dengue Leishmaniasis etc. Vector breeding sites Diarrhoea Malnutrition Drownings Intestinal parasites etc. Water, sanitation Desertification Water scarcity

Global inequalities: GNI versus EBD Sierra Leone Angola Guinea-Bissau Mozambique China India Brazil Finland Iceland USA Afro Amro Emro Euro Searo Wpro

Basic concepts The Climate Change challenge An agenda for action

Causes of the causes Proximal causes Health Climate change impacts on other risk factors Causes of the causes Migration Energy Transport Proximal causes Radiation Air pollution Chemicals Health Climate change Degraded ecosystems Vector breeding sites Water, sanitation Water scarcity Desertification

The health effects of climate change

Climate change produce local health impacts and increase inequalities

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

Climate change: children are the worst affected 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

climate change begins with… the most vulnerable regions: With high transmission of climate sensitive diseases; Low food production; Water scarcity; Island and coastal cities Mountain communities

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

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

Basic concepts The Climate Change challenge An agenda for action

Global Workplan for addressing the implications of climate change for health and health systems Workplan Aims: Support health systems in all countries, in order to enhance capacity for assessing and monitoring health vulnerability, risks and impacts due to climate change; Identify strategies and actions to protect human health, particularly of the most vulnerable groups; and Share knowledge and good practices.

Raising awareness Strengthen health systems Partnerships Evidence Strengthen health systems Addressing the implications of climate change for health Global Workplan Objectives

Workplan Objectives: 1. Raising awareness of the effects of climate change on health, in order to prompt action for public health measures. 2. Engage in partnerships with other United Nations organizations and sectors other than the health sector at national, regional and international levels, in order to ensure that health protection and health promotion are central to climate change adaptation and mitigation policies 3. Promote and support the generation of scientific evidence 4. Strengthen health systems to cope with the health threats posed by climate change, including emergencies related to extreme weather events and sea-level rise

Actions from the local to the global setting We have only one Mother Earth