PHA-Exch> WHO agreed on a research agenda on climate change and public health

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Vern Weitzel vern.weitzel at gmail.com


http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr36/en/index.html

WHO agreed on a research agenda on climate change and public health

Related links
More on climate change and health
http://www.who.int/globalchange/climate/en/index.html

8 October 2008 | MADRID/GENEVA -- A meeting of experts convened by the World
Health Organization (WHO) in Madrid agreed today to a research agenda to
develop an evidence-based framework for action on the human health
implications of climate change. The plan builds on a comprehensive review of
what is already known about health risks from climate change. It was
developed by WHO with more than 80 top researchers on climate change and
health along with representatives of donor and other UN agencies. The
meeting took place 6-8 October and hosted by the Ministry of Health of
Spain.

"Many agencies, including WHO, have highlighted the health dangers of
climate change" said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO's Director-General. "Our 193
Member States asked WHO to help them strengthen the evidence base for policy
action. This plan provides the framework for doing just that. It sets out
guidance to governments, research institutions and donors looking to fill
crucial knowledge gaps."

In the last decade, even though climate change has been increasingly
acknowledged as an important risk to human well-being, its effects on health
have received little research attention. Scientific papers describing the
links between climate change and health are outnumbered by those on air
pollution by almost 8 times, and by those on smoking by almost 40 times.

The plan aims to speed-up, focus and intensify climate change and health
research to strengthen the evidence base for discussion at the 15th United
Nations Conference of the Parties (COP15), to be held in Copenhagen in
December 2009, where world leaders will forge a new global climate agreement
to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.

The research plan identifies five priority research areas; including,

Interactions with other health determinants and trends - Climate change does
not act in a vacuum. There is an urgent need for a better understanding of
how climate change does and will interact with other important health
determinants and trends, such as economic development, globalization,
urbanization, and inequities both in exposure to health risks and access to
care.

Direct and indirect effects - Much is known of short-term health impacts of
climate change. There is a need for better characterization of the effects
of long-term changes such as increasing drought, decline in freshwater
resources, and population displacement, ranging from mental health impacts
to risks of conflict, with a particular focus on children and other
vulnerable groups.

Comparing effectiveness of short-term interventions - Different countries
have taken a variety of approaches to deal with climate change-related
health threats such as heatwaves and floods. Comparative outcome assessments
can help rank effectiveness of interventions.

Assessing health impact of policies of non-health sectors - There is an
urgent need for rapid assessment of the health implications of specific
climate change prevention (mitigation) and adaptation policies in other
sectors, such as the potentially negative effect of promotion of biofuels on
food security and malnutrition; and the potentially positive health effects
of sustainable energy and transport policies.

Strengthening public health systems to address health effects of climate
change. Most health systems interventions to deal with climate change build
on basic public health competencies. More knowledge is needed to identify
the most effective means of implementing integrated preventive public health
strategies that reduce not just climate change related threats but all
environmental health risks.

"This meeting has made clear that there is a need to enhance our evidence
base on ways to protect health from climate change", said Dr. Bernat Soria,
Spain's Minister of Health and Consumption,: " We welcome this plan which
sets out a clear research agenda and addresses all countries needs for
evidence-based policy making" he added.

For more information please contact:

Nada Osseiran
Advocacy & Communications Officer
Public Health & Environment Dept
WHO Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 4475
E-mail: osseirann at who.int
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