Resources Topic 2: Effects of climate change on human health

Although the Intergovernmental Panel has produced more recent reports (see below) this synthesis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2014 is worth reading. It stated:  "Until mid-century, projected climate change will impact human health mainly by exacerbating health problems that already exist (very high confidence). Throughout the 21st century, climate change is expected to lead to increases in ill-health in many regions and especially in developing countries with low income, as compared to a baseline without climate change (high confidence). Health impacts include greater likelihood of injury and death due to more intense heat waves and fires, increased risks from foodborne and waterborne diseases, and loss of work capacity and reduced labour productivity in vulnerable populations (high confidence). Risks of undernutrition in poor regions will increase (high confidence). Risks from vector-borne diseases are projected to generally increase with warming, due to the extension of the infection area and season, despite reductions in some areas that become too hot for disease vectors (medium confidence). Globally, the magnitude and severity of negative impacts will increasingly outweigh positive impacts (high confidence). By 2100 for RCP8.5, the combination of high temperature and humidity in some areas for parts of the year is expected to compromise common human activities, including growing food and working outdoors (high confidence)."

The way in which climate change produces health impacts is shown in this graphic from the 2014 IPCC report.

An update from the 6th IPCC report in 2022 summarises the situation :

'Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred. Human-caused climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. This has led to widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people (high confidence). Vulnerable communities who have historically contributed the least to current climate change are disproportionately affected (high confidence).'

The Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change from 2022 is an excellent and comprehensive summary of the whole area (the papers are free, but you may have to register to access them). 

Please read this resource Human Health from the Climate Institute. [Note: given the politics of climate change - see later Topic - it is important to check the source of any data you examine on this issue.] 

Although written some time ago, we include this contribution from the late Tony McMichael, who was one of the pioneers to warn us of the health effects of climate change. He and colleagues wrote this excellent review paper - in the British Medical Journal focusing on global effects - see the box on Africa and climate change: Global environmental change and health: impacts, inequalities, and the health sector.

The World Health Organisation has many resources devoted to climate change - . Also, this WHO fact sheet is very clear http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health

Case study on Dengue Fever from BMC PUblic Health: Climate change and the emergence of vector-borne diseases in Europe: case study of dengue fever. "Several vector-borne diseases are spread in Europe and the effect of climate change on disease distribution has been extensively discussed. Most authors consider that climate change is likely to have greatest impact on dengue fever, West Nile fever, chikungunya fever, malaria, leishmaniasis, tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme borreliosis, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, spotted fever rickettsioses, Yellow fever and Rift Valley fever.......This study allowed modelling of dengue fever risk in Europe based on actual clinical data. The model calibrated under Mexican conditions resulted in reliable and geographically meaningful patterns of projected dengue fever risk in Europe. The risk maps indicate that climate change is likely to contribute to increased dengue risk (and possibly other mosquito-borne diseases) in many parts of Europe, especially towards the end of the century. The areas of greatest increased risk are projected to be clustered around the Mediterranean and Adriatic coasts and in northern Italy. The exact incidence is dependent on several other factors, some of which we were unable to model at this stage (such as vaccine development)."

A paper in JAMA by Patz et al Climate change: challenges and opportunities for global health says: "The adverse health aspects related to climate change may include heat-related disorders, such as heat stress and economic consequences of reduced work capacity; respiratory disorders, including those exacerbated by air pollution and aeroallergens, such as asthma; infectious diseases, including vectorborne diseases and waterborne diseases, such as childhood gastrointestinal diseases; food insecurity, including reduced crop yields and an increase in plant diseases; and mental health disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, that are associated with natural disasters. Substantial health and economic cobenefits could be associated with reductions in fossil fuel combustion."

An editorial to introduce a 2018 series in PLoS Medicine Climate change and health: Moving from theory to practice says: "Research on the health risks from climate change has grown substantially, with findings suggesting that the global health gains achieved over the past half century are being undermined by climate change. Hazardous exposure pathways are many, from heat waves and air pollution episodes to infectious diseases, malnutrition, forced migration, and conflict. Impacts are experienced differently within segments of the population and between geographic locations based on biological, social, and economic vulnerabilities as well as the nature of the climate hazard." The series, which can be accessed here, contains much interesting information.