1. 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

2. 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

3. Basic concepts
The Climate Change challenge
An agenda for action

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

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

6. 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

7. 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

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

9. Basic concepts
The Climate Change challenge
An agenda for action

10. 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

11. The health effects of climate change

12. Climate change produce local health impacts and increase inequalities

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

14. 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

15. 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

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

17. 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

18. Basic concepts
The Climate Change challenge
An agenda for action

19. 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.

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

21. 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

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