CDC’s Climate and Health Program is excited to celebrate 10 years of supporting state, tribal, local, and territorial public health agencies as they prepare for specific health impacts of a changing climate. WHO develops discussion papers, guidance documents, and recommendations to improve health protection in international health and climate change …


Extreme weather and natural disasters can worsen people’s illnesses and lead to injuries and death. Health policy and climate change. The impacts of climate change on human health interact with underlying health, demographic, and socioeconomic factors. Although policymakers and public health advocates are beginning to acknowledge the health implications of climate change, current policy approaches are lagging behind. Climate change mitigation Climate change is happening now and is expected to continue. Mitigation, by preventing or reducing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, can make the impacts of climate change less severe. Climate change may lead to more severe and more frequent storms (hailstorms and tropical cyclones), flash flooding, bushfires and droughts. Why climate change threatens public health As the Earth warms, extreme weather events, increased disease risk and even compromised health facilities could become more common. Women’s health outcomes and economic prosperity can serve as surrogate markers for development, disaster risk reduction, and climate adaptation and should be used as indicators for project and policy success. Climate change-related health impacts can include increased number of cases of heat-related illness and death, more air pollution-related exacerbations of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, increased injury and loss of life due to severe storms and flooding, increased occurrences of vector-borne and water-borne diseases, and stress and mental … While some of these are unpredictable, others (shown in the table) are supported by considerable evidence.
Council on Environmental Health The COEH is the home for Academy members interested in and concerned about children's environmental health and toxic exposures.

Climate change refers to the change in the earth’s global and regional climate over time. Climate change has the potential to impact health in many ways.

Climate change affects the social and environmental determinants of health – clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter.

CDC is proud of the collaborative work states, cities, territories, and tribes are doing to develop and implement adaptation plans to protect at-risk populations and locations. Similarly, regions with poor health outcomes should be identified as “hot spots” for current and future vulnerability to climate change. Climate change can be a driver of disease migration, as well as exacerbate health effects resulting from the release of toxic air pollutants in vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with asthma or cardiovascular disease.

This report by the 45 health experts of the 2015 Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change is a review of up-to-date information on climate change and health.