What we know about the problem, and the policy responses
(adapted from the WHO document- ‘Improving coherence of climate change, health and development policy’)
There is now strong evidence that anthropogenic climate change in undermining the environmental determinants of health. These impacts are concentrated on the poorest populations, and affect some of the largest disease burdens, including malnutrition, diarrhoea, and vector-borne diseases such as malaria, which together kill over 5 million people a year. In addition, many of the same inefficient and polluting uses of energy that are causing climate change are also contributing directly to very large health impacts, including the 1.3 million deaths each year from urban air pollution, and the 1.9 million from indoor air pollution. There are therefore important opportunities for health, and the environment, in strengthening health adaptation to climate change, and promoting policies that simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas and health exposures.
Health protection is increasingly being identified by the general public, the health community, and now by climate negotiators, as among the most important dimensions of climate change. Health is central to the justification of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and Member States passed a World Health Assembly Resolution on this issue in 2008. Health agencies have led development of regional frameworks of action on climate change. However, health is very poorly represented in the operating mechanisms for the climate change convention, including adaptation planning and finance, and within mitigation plans and finance streams such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
Also have a read of this article in the Lancet by Medsin's Mike Eliasz and others on Health at the Rio+20 Earth Summit which took place in June 2012.
There is now strong evidence that anthropogenic climate change in undermining the environmental determinants of health. These impacts are concentrated on the poorest populations, and affect some of the largest disease burdens, including malnutrition, diarrhoea, and vector-borne diseases such as malaria, which together kill over 5 million people a year. In addition, many of the same inefficient and polluting uses of energy that are causing climate change are also contributing directly to very large health impacts, including the 1.3 million deaths each year from urban air pollution, and the 1.9 million from indoor air pollution. There are therefore important opportunities for health, and the environment, in strengthening health adaptation to climate change, and promoting policies that simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas and health exposures.
Health protection is increasingly being identified by the general public, the health community, and now by climate negotiators, as among the most important dimensions of climate change. Health is central to the justification of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and Member States passed a World Health Assembly Resolution on this issue in 2008. Health agencies have led development of regional frameworks of action on climate change. However, health is very poorly represented in the operating mechanisms for the climate change convention, including adaptation planning and finance, and within mitigation plans and finance streams such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
Also have a read of this article in the Lancet by Medsin's Mike Eliasz and others on Health at the Rio+20 Earth Summit which took place in June 2012.
Recommendations from policy fora on Climate Change, Health and Development
The health community has engaged in policy dialogue on the links between health, climate change, and development, through the UNFCCC process, the World Health Assembly, and related policy fora, such as the Conference on Social Determinants of Health in Rio de Janeiro in October 2011 and Rio+20. The following messages are some of the main ones upon which discussions have converged.
1. Protection and enhancement of health is an essential pillar of sustainable development, and of the response to climate change. A more integrated and intersectoral approach to enhancing health, fostering pro-poor growth, and protecting the environment, should improve policy coherence and increase efficiency.
2. Policies and investments to mitigate and adapt to climate change have great potential for improving health and health equity. Strengthening health systems, and enhancing population health, would increase resilience and lower vulnerability to environmental change. Well-designed actions to mitigate climate change could bring major health gains.
3. Progress in protecting and enhancing health through adaptation and mitigation should be tracked and monitored, both in relation to actions taken by the health sector, and by other sectors, such as energy, transport, housing, agriculture and water resources.
4. The role of health in climate change adaptation, and the potential health co-benefits of climate change mitigation policies, should be considered by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and supported by its financial mechanisms.
1. Protection and enhancement of health is an essential pillar of sustainable development, and of the response to climate change. A more integrated and intersectoral approach to enhancing health, fostering pro-poor growth, and protecting the environment, should improve policy coherence and increase efficiency.
2. Policies and investments to mitigate and adapt to climate change have great potential for improving health and health equity. Strengthening health systems, and enhancing population health, would increase resilience and lower vulnerability to environmental change. Well-designed actions to mitigate climate change could bring major health gains.
3. Progress in protecting and enhancing health through adaptation and mitigation should be tracked and monitored, both in relation to actions taken by the health sector, and by other sectors, such as energy, transport, housing, agriculture and water resources.
4. The role of health in climate change adaptation, and the potential health co-benefits of climate change mitigation policies, should be considered by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and supported by its financial mechanisms.
Health co-benefits of certain mitigation strategies
Adapted from the Lancet series on ‘The health co-benefits on tackling climate change’, which was co-sponsored by the World Health Organisation.
This series showed that appropriate mitigation strategies will themselves have additional and independent effects on health, most of them beneficial. Because the existence of important health co-benefits will dramatically reduce the cost to society of taking strong action to mitigate climate change, failure to appreciate their importance could have serious environmental consequences. The potential value of these co-benefits has not so far been given insufficient prominence in international negotiations.
A healthy society and active workforce will be key determinants of sustainable development, productivity and economic growth. Independent scientific research recently published in the leading international medical journal The Lancet documents the multiple health effects of reducing fossil fuel energy use. Meeting emissions targets in the transport sector will require modest increases in walking and cycling with corresponding reductions in car use. Based on the current epidemiological evidence linking physical activity and health, it is estimated that the increase in physical activity would dramatically cut rates of chronic disease, with around 10% to 20% less heart disease and stroke, 12% to 18% less breast cancer and 8% less dementia. More sustainable transport would also improve our mental health with an estimated 6% less depression.
The research also considered the health effects of reducing livestock production in order to limit the cattle related methane emissions and deforestation that are contributing to global warming. Reducing the amount of animal products in the diet would reduce our consumption of harmful saturated animal fats, which would result in a further large fall (a 30% reduction) in the incidence of chronic disease. By improving diet and physical activity levels, climate change mitigation policies would result in a dramatic cut in rates of diseases that mean premature death and disability for hundreds of millions of people around the world. Reducing meat consumption will also reduce rates of cancer of the colon and rectum. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in men after lung cancer.
Insulating homes in high income countries would prevent winter cold deaths and reduce greenhouse emissions. Fuel efficient cook stoves in low income countries could cut respiratory deaths in children. One million children die every year from respiratory infections caused or made worse by the burning of solid fuels. De-carbonizing energy supplies would reduce air pollution and deaths during coal extraction.
A rapid decarbonisation program that cuts across all the major areas of fossil fuel energy use would bring major health benefits. Such a program would include the decarbonisation of energy supplies, increasing the energy efficiency of homes, the creation of an urban infrastructure for safe walking and cycling and the greening of our cities. No regrets policies to mitigate climate change will bring large health benefits.
This series showed that appropriate mitigation strategies will themselves have additional and independent effects on health, most of them beneficial. Because the existence of important health co-benefits will dramatically reduce the cost to society of taking strong action to mitigate climate change, failure to appreciate their importance could have serious environmental consequences. The potential value of these co-benefits has not so far been given insufficient prominence in international negotiations.
A healthy society and active workforce will be key determinants of sustainable development, productivity and economic growth. Independent scientific research recently published in the leading international medical journal The Lancet documents the multiple health effects of reducing fossil fuel energy use. Meeting emissions targets in the transport sector will require modest increases in walking and cycling with corresponding reductions in car use. Based on the current epidemiological evidence linking physical activity and health, it is estimated that the increase in physical activity would dramatically cut rates of chronic disease, with around 10% to 20% less heart disease and stroke, 12% to 18% less breast cancer and 8% less dementia. More sustainable transport would also improve our mental health with an estimated 6% less depression.
The research also considered the health effects of reducing livestock production in order to limit the cattle related methane emissions and deforestation that are contributing to global warming. Reducing the amount of animal products in the diet would reduce our consumption of harmful saturated animal fats, which would result in a further large fall (a 30% reduction) in the incidence of chronic disease. By improving diet and physical activity levels, climate change mitigation policies would result in a dramatic cut in rates of diseases that mean premature death and disability for hundreds of millions of people around the world. Reducing meat consumption will also reduce rates of cancer of the colon and rectum. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in men after lung cancer.
Insulating homes in high income countries would prevent winter cold deaths and reduce greenhouse emissions. Fuel efficient cook stoves in low income countries could cut respiratory deaths in children. One million children die every year from respiratory infections caused or made worse by the burning of solid fuels. De-carbonizing energy supplies would reduce air pollution and deaths during coal extraction.
A rapid decarbonisation program that cuts across all the major areas of fossil fuel energy use would bring major health benefits. Such a program would include the decarbonisation of energy supplies, increasing the energy efficiency of homes, the creation of an urban infrastructure for safe walking and cycling and the greening of our cities. No regrets policies to mitigate climate change will bring large health benefits.
