Climate Change Threatens Public Health Position Statement

I. Climate Change Effects on Health

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials supports the widespread scientific consensus that the world’s climate is changing, and that climate change has significant impact on human health. Climate change will threaten the basic life systems on which we depend: our water, food, air and shelter. Health effects related to climate change include death and illness from heat waves, injuries from extreme weather events, increased air pollution with concomitant rises in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, water shortages and an increased incidence of vector- and water-borne diseases.

ASTHO supports action to adequately bolster our nation’s public health infrastructure to reduce the damage caused by climate change and prepare for future challenges.

The actual effects of climate change on population health are influenced by many confounding factors, including socioeconomic status of individuals and communities, demographic structure of the population, geographical location, access to medical care and adaptation measures implemented to reduce negative impacts. Recent climate-related challenges, from extreme weather events to changing patterns of communicable disease, have already demonstrated the critical need to improve public health capacity to identify, monitor, prevent, and respond to climate-related threats.

• ASTHO recognizes that climate change has serious, far-reaching implications for the health of this generation and future generations, especially for the most vulnerable populations.
• ASTHO asserts that climate change has the potential to place unprecedented demands upon public health infrastructure in the United States and abroad.
• ASTHO asserts the need for enhanced and specific preparedness of federal, state, territorial and local health systems to cope with the present and future challenges of climate change.
• ASTHO acknowledges that there are uncertainties regarding the magnitude of impacts of climate change on health.

II. ASTHO Supported Response to Climate Change

Understanding and Preparedness

• ASTHO advocates strong coordination and collaboration across all tiers of governmental and healthcare systems to improve understanding of climate change and enable optimal preparation and response to related health challenges.
• ASTHO urges federal, state, territorial and local government bodies to develop and coordinate public health policy, and the reform of existing policies, to address health impacts related to climate change.
• ASTHO supports strengthening the public health infrastructure to address climate change and health.
• ASTHO supports public health preparedness and response measures for all hazards including extreme weather events, wildfires, floods, drought and disease outbreaks related to climate change.
• ASTHO supports increased efforts to track diseases and trends related to climate change in order to provide appropriate, accurate and timely information to key stakeholders engaged in preparedness and response planning.
• ASTHO urges the federal government to provide leadership, resources and programs to support state and territorial health agencies. State, territorial and local health departments must prepare for the potential health impacts of climate change with enhanced planning, surveillance and programs, including educational initiatives to raise awareness among public health professionals of the link between climate change and human health.
• ASTHO supports investment in research to improve understanding of climate change impacts on health and to develop and enhance surveillance and response systems to mitigate health impacts, including:

1. Initiating and promoting scientifically based health programs.
2. Developing practice standards.
3. Identifying promising practices and success stories.
4. Developing decision support systems that enable agencies to predict, anticipate and model events.
5. Developing early warning systems that enable rapid response.

Education and Outreach

• ASTHO promotes increased efforts to assure adequate response to health impacts of climate change by seeking opportunities for quality training for public health professionals and health care providers on health aspects of climate change.
• ASTHO urges public health agencies and professionals to inform communities, policy-makers, other government departments and industry about the public health impacts of climate change.

Assessment and Policy

• Actively promulgate policies that better position communities to prepare for and adapt to the public health impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, wildfires, floods, drought, and disease outbreaks.
• Actively engage with all stakeholders to ensure consideration of the potential health impacts in all aspects of behavior and decision-making that may contribute to climate change.
• Use tools such as health impact assessments to build consideration of climate change health implications into community policy decisions.
• Consider the health implications of climate change in their overall healthy community initiatives to leverage the greatest benefit from the various efforts to address important chronic disease issues.

Notes

1. Working Group II Contribution to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report. Climate Change 2007: Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. April 6, 2007.

Approval History:

ASTHO position statements relate to specific issues that are time sensitive, narrowly defined, or are a further development or interpretation of ASTHO policy. Statements are developed and reviewed by appropriate Policy Committees and the ASTHO Executive Committee. Position statements are not voted on by the full ASTHO membership.

Environmental Health Committee Review and Approval on May 16, 2011 
Preparedness Committee Review and Approval on Board of Director’s Review and Approval on June 15, 2011 
Board of Directors Review and Approval on July 20, 2011 
Policy Expires on July 20, 2014

For further information about this position statement, please contact ASTHO Environmental Health Policy staff at environmentalhealth@astho.org.