CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH RISKS TO THE ELDERLY FROM HEAT AND AIR POLLUTION IN THE US

Economics govern the relationship between what could be done and what is actually done. A fundamental rule of public health posits that it is medically and economically desirable to prevent rather than to treat an illness. Heat leads to more deaths than any weather-related cause. In the July 2006 California heat wave there were over 16,000 excess emergency room visits and 1,100 hospitalizations. In Washington, there were 3.1 heat-related workman’s compensation claims per 100,000 full time employees. In India the economic burden of dengue is over one billion dollars per year. Puerto Rican data suggest it is the most important and costliest vector-borne disease. Property loss and burdens associated with the production of climate change refugees add to the cost of rising sea level. It’s no surprise that careful studies in the US show that those with the highest social vulnerability will be the most seriously affected. Agriculture will suffer: the 2012 megadrought cost around $30 billion. Economists estimate that heat-related increases in crime will cost each US citizens between $20 and $30 per year by the end of the century.

Download Full-text

An Assessment of Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation in Dominica

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16010070 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 70 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Rebekka Schnitter ◽

Marielle Verret ◽

Peter Berry ◽

Tanya Chung Tiam Fook ◽

Simon Hales ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Health Risks ◽

Production Systems ◽

Health Sector ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Small Island ◽

Waterborne Diseases ◽

Health Vulnerability ◽

Near Term ◽

Climate Change And Health

A climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessment was conducted in Dominica, a Caribbean small island developing state located in the Lesser Antilles. The assessment revealed that the country’s population is already experiencing many impacts on health and health systems from climate variability and change. Infectious diseases as well as food and waterborne diseases pose continued threats as climate change may exacerbate the related health risks. Threats to food security were also identified, with particular concern for food production systems. The findings of the assessment included near-term and long-term adaptation options that can inform actions of health sector decision-makers in addressing health vulnerabilities and building resilience to climate change. Key challenges include the need for enhanced financial and human resources to build awareness of key health risks and increase adaptive capacity. Other small island developing states interested in pursuing a vulnerability and adaptation assessment may find this assessment approach, key findings, analysis, and lessons learned useful.

Download Full-text

Climate change and health in cities: impacts of heat and air pollution and potential co-benefits from mitigation and adaptation

Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability ◽

10.1016/j.cosust.2011.01.001 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 126-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 166

Author(s):

Sharon L Harlan ◽

Darren M Ruddell

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

Climate Change And Health

Download Full-text

Air pollution, climate change, and health

The Lancet Oncology ◽

10.1016/s1470-2045(15)70238-x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. e269 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Josefine Gibson

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Climate Change And Health

Download Full-text

Intersection of Climate Change and Health: An Explication of the Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity

Witness: The Canadian Journal of Critical Nursing Discourse ◽

10.25071/2291-5796.114 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 10-17

Author(s):

Patrice Nicholas ◽

Clara Gona ◽

Linda Evans ◽

Eleonor Pusey Reid

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Health Equity ◽

Critical Role ◽

Institutional Racism ◽

The Us ◽

The Future ◽

Optimal Population ◽

Future Of Nursing ◽

Climate Change And Health

The US National Academy of Medicine released its consensus study for the next decade entitled The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path To Achieve Health Equity (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021). This paper examines the report, its implications for nursing globally, its focus on systemic, structural, and institutional racism, and the intersection with climate change and deleterious health consequences. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has led in addressing the critical role of the nursing profession in achieving optimal population health outcomes in the US. Yet, relevance exists for nursing in other global areas. The most recent US report focuses on social determinants of health (SDoH) and explicitly addresses climate change as a looming public health threat. An analysis of the key foci of nursing’s role in climate change amidst the critical role of health equity globally is explicated.

Download Full-text