1. World Health Organization
21 April 2017
Climate Change, Health & Health Professionals Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Public Health and Environment Department, World Health Organization, Geneva

2. Climate change undermines the environmental determinants of health
Without effective responses, climate change will compromise:
Water quality and quantity: Contributing to a doubling of people living in water-stressed basins by 2050.
Food security: In some African countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture may halve by 2020.
Control of infectious disease: Increasing population living in areas climatically suitable for dengue globally by 2 billion by 2080s.
Protection from disasters: Increasing exposure to coastal flooding by a factor of 10, and land area in extreme drought by a factor of
References for all figures given in WHO, Protecting Health From Climate Change: Connecting Science, Policy and People, World Health Organization, Geneva; page 7.

3. The largest disease burdens are highly climate sensitive
Each year: Undernutrition kills 3.5 million Diarrhoea kills 2.2 million Malaria kills 900,000
- Extreme weather events kill 60, These, and others, are highly sensitive to changing climate.
Climate change is now widely considered to be a serious public health issue, because it interacts with so many of the important determinants of health, feeding into our largest current health burdens.

4. World Health Organization
21 April 2017
Weather-related disasters kill thousands in rich and poor countries
References:
1) European Environment Agency: , based on data from IVS (2003): Impact sanitaire de la vague de chaleur en France survenue en aout 2003, Rapport d'etape, 29 aout Saint-Maurice, Institut de Veille Sanitaire.
2) NASA:
Deaths During Summer Heatwave. Paris Funeral Services (2003)
Colorado, June 2012

5. Public discussion is disconnected from the evidence
2008 US Gallup poll of US public and scientists:
Do you think human activity is a significant contributing factor in changing
mean global temperatures?
Doran et al, EOS, 2009

6. Everyone acknowledges that health is central to climate change- but not followed through to action
LDCs identifying health as adaptation priority
Number of adaptation projects submitted
Funds requested for health
Funds awarded for health

7. We neglect prevention – and pay the price
Other
Alcohol
Unsafe Sex
Tobacco
Physical Inactivity
Illicit drugs
Environment
Treatment & Overhead
Prevention < 5%
Factors influencing health
World-wide health expenditures
US $ 5.3 Trillion
Each year from :
life expectancy rose 0.5%
health costs rose 6 %
Source: Estimated from OECD, WHO, and Prevention Institute data

8. So what do we need to do about it?

9. Build on public interest in climate/health connections
World Health Organization
21 April 2017
Build on public interest in climate/health connections
2001 Globescan poll in 30 countries:
“Now I would like to ask you some questions about climate change, which is sometimes referred to as global warming or the greenhouse effect. Which ONE of the following possible impacts most concerns you personally, if any?”

10. Build on public health actions as effective "adaptation" measures
We have proven interventions for climate-sensitive risks – we need to expand coverage, and ensure that they are climate resilient.
Change in malaria endemicity class, 1900-present:
(Gething et al, Nature, 2010) 10

11. World Health Organization
21 April 2017
We can protect health while reducing emissions
Improved stoves could save 2 million lives over 10 years in India alone, and reduce warming from black carbon.
Sustainable urban transport – could cut heart disease and stroke by up to 20%.
"Health benefits from reduced air pollution as a result of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions… may offset a substantial fraction of mitigation costs" – IPCC, 2007.
"while the climatic effects of mitigation measures are long-term and dispersed throughout the world, the health benefits are immediate and local" – WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, 2009

12.  Infrastructure costs
True Primary Prevention
 Cardiovascular diseases
CO2
Air pollution
Physical activity
 Obesity
 Depression
 Injuries
 Social capital
 Infrastructure costs
Slide courtesy of Howie Frumkin, US CDC

13. Health care as a key sector
8-10% of the global GDP and 2.6% of the total GHG emissions.
Up to 50% of health facilities in some major Sub-Saharan African countries have no electricity.

14. Health professionals as a key voice

16. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum
World Health Organization
Public Health and Environment
Climate Change
With thanks to Susan Wilburn and Elaine Fletcher