Climate change and human health: Risks and responses

Climate change is one of the biggest global health threats of the 21st century. Sensitive to shifts in weather and climate patterns, all human populations are affected by the direct and indirect health impacts of climate change. These impacts include exposure to extreme weather events, environmental and ecological disruptions, and even the social responses to climate change and variability. Some groups may be more vulnerable than others due to their high levels of exposure and sensitivity, poverty, and the weaknesses of public health systems in their region. Because climate change is complex and place-specific, vulnerable populations experience health challenges for different reasons. Some factors act as generic causes of vulnerability, such as age, gender, education, current health status, geographic location and environment, physical infrastructure and socioeconomic condition. Given the severity of these risks, the health effects of rapidly changing climate are commanding greater policy attention and government action. A public health response to climate change refers to any short- or long-term strategies that can reduce adverse health impacts or enhance resilience to observed or expected changes in climate and associated extremes. Generally, it operates on two levels: Building climate resilience and implementing adaptation actions. However, any public health response must first overcome the uncertainties of future climate and socioeconomic conditions as well as financial constraints, institutional arrangements, and individual cognitive limits. The current research on climate change and human health shows the scientific community is deepening our understanding the possible health effects and risks of our changing climate. In China, multisectoral and multidisciplinary responses to address the health impacts of climate change are necessary. This will require the close collaboration of individuals, communities, governments, and the research community. In particular, key research projects and methods will need to be developed. First, the regional health risks of climate change should be estimated with a focus on how the geographic range and disease burdens will change with changing weather patterns. Second, the thresholds and the time of emergence of dangerous health consequences caused by climate change should be calculated. Third, a method of detecting and attributing the health effects caused by climate change and variability should be adopted. Fourth, a forecast of how climate change may affect the functioning of health systems and infrastructure should be envisioned. And finally, a method for integrating the uneven patterns of climate change into adaptation planning. The international community has begun addressing some of these issues. Launched at the UN conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in 2012, Future Earth is an international research programme that will develop comprehensive knowledge for responding to challenges posed by global environmental change and create transformative opportunities toward global sustainability. The Chinese National Committee for Future Earth (CNC-FE) should make full use of international resources and facilitate collaboration between domestic health sectors and meteorological departments. The government's response should include estimating the health implications of mitigation and adaptation measures when designing government policies, conducting climate change and health impact, vulnerability and adaptation assessments, tracking the progress of health and climate change, identifying opportunities to address the adaptation gap in the nation's public health sector, and finally, building climate resilience into China's health systems.