Climate change and health research 1 |1 | Priorities for climate change and health research Maria Neira, Director Public Health and Environment Department

Climate change and health research1 |

Priorities for climate change and health research

Maria Neira,Director

Public Health and EnvironmentDepartment

Priorities for climate change and health research

Maria Neira,Director

Public Health and EnvironmentDepartment


Background:

Growing body of scientific evidence on climate change

Increasing global political will

Stronger engagement by the health sector


The Request from 193 National

Governments

SIXTY-FIRST WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY WHA61.19

Agenda item 11.11 24 May 2008

Climate change and health The Sixty-first World Health Assembly, Having considered the report on climate change and health;

… requests the Director-General…….

…. to continue close cooperation with Member States and appropriate United Nations organizations, other agencies and funding bodies in order to develop capacity to assess the risks from climate change for human health and to implement effective response measures, by promoting further research and pilot projects in this area, including work on:

(a) health vulnerability to climate change and the scale and nature thereof;

(b) health protection strategies and measures relating to climate change and theireffectiveness, including cost-effectiveness;

(c) the health impacts of potential adaptation and mitigation measures in other sectors such as marine life, water resources, land use, and transport, in particular where these could have positive benefits for health protection;

(d) decision-support and other tools, such as surveillance and monitoring, for assessing vulnerability and health impacts and targeting measures appropriately;

(e) assessment of the likely financial costs and other resources necessary for healthprotection from climate change;


The current situation

Research on climate change and health is increasing rapidly, but lags far behind more traditional risk factors.

Need for applied research programmes to support decisions in the field, enhance health, and health equity.

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The MADRID AGENDAThe MADRID AGENDA

Defining the Global Research Agenda for Climate Change and Health

October 2008 > top global researchers discuss way forward


I: Understanding the risks

Improved evaluation of current climate-related health risks, rather than an exclusive focus on very long timeframes.

Identification of sensitive populations and life stages.

Quantification of the fraction of morbidity/mortality attributable to climate hazards, and to climate change.

Better assessment of neglected climate-health linkages.

WHO SEARO. © Shehzad Noorani/Still Pictures


II: Identifying the best interventions

Systematic reviews of the evidence-base for existing interventions.

Methodological research to improve analytical tools for cost-effectiveness analysis.

Protection of handwashing against diarrhoea, highlighting studies in water-stressed situations.

Adapted from Curtis V, Cairncross S. 2003; Lancet Inf Dis 3:275-281


III:Guiding health-promoting decisions in other sectors

Improved methods for assessment of health implications of decisions in other sectors.

Health implications of climate change mitigation: energy and transport sectors.

Health implications of climate change adaptation: water, food and agriculture sectors.

Improved integration of climate change mitigation, adaptation and health through "Settings-based" research. Connections between energy and health; Quantified links shown as solid lines.

Gohlke et al, Environmental Health Perspectives, 2007.


IV: Improving decision-support

Research to improve vulnerability and adaptation assessments.

Improvement of operational predictions.

Improved understanding of decision-making processes.

Observed malaria cases (black line) vs. predicted from climate-base model (blue dotted line) in Debrezeit, highland Ethiopia. Teklehaimanot et al., Malaria Journal, 2004


V: Estimating the costs of protecting health from climate change.

Definition of harmonized methods to estimate costs and benefits.

Assessment of the health costs of inaction and the costs of adaptation.

Improved economic assessment of the health cobenefits of climate

change mitigation.

WHO SEARO. © Shehzad Noorani /Majority World / Still Pictures


Implementing the agenda

Support an iterative process for reviewing and adapting research priorities

Establish a virtual forum on climate change and health research.

Establish expert panels to provide oversight, develop guidance and tools

Build capacity for climate change and health research, with a focus on developing countries.

Documents

Climate change and health research 1 |1 | Priorities for climate change and health research Maria Neira, Director Public Health and Environment Department