Biblioteca

This policy document underlines that climate change can no longer be considered simply an environmental or developmental issue. It puts at risk the protection and improvement of human health and well-being. A greater appreciation of the human health dimensions of climate change is necessary for both the development of effective policy and the mobilization of public engagement. Strengthening of public health services needs to be a central component of adaptation to climate change.

This policy document is an early WHO Task Force Report on the potential health effects of Climate Change, contributing to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report to the Second World Climate Conference in November 1990. It is designed to assist decision-makers and public health planners in determining the potential health-problems that may arise in their region from global climatic change caused by an increase in greenhouse gases and a decrease in the ozone layer.

This  WHO Bulletin article aims to raise awareness on the phenomenon of Global Warming and its connections to public health. It summaries the actual knowledge about this issue and presents the possible risks. Furthermore, it underlines that poor people in developing countries are the most vulnerable to this phenomenon. 

This policy document presents jointly submitted suggestions expressed in the framework of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) related to development and social issues, in particular on employment and incomes, food and agriculture, gender equality, health and development. Collectively and individually the organizations involved are available to assist parties in their endeavour to make informed decisions.

This policy document consists of a policy guidance document submitted to the AWG-LCA on climate and health. It summarises the shared vision on climate change and presents considerations on adaptation, mitigation, finance and technology.

This policy document summarises the outcomes of the AWG-LCA 6th session on protecting the health of vulnerable people from the humanitarian consequences of climate change and climate related events. The aim of the paper is twofold: first, it documents the range of risks that climate change poses to human health associated with humanitarian emergencies, and secondly, it proposes policy directions to manage the health and humanitarian impact of climate change for consideration by the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC, the health sector and by the humanitarian community.

This technical document presents the main outcomes of the National Workshop on Climate Change and Human Health in Indonesia. Presentations focused on the global impact of climate change, methodologies and tools to assess vulnerability and adaptation; national descriptions on climate change impacts in various settings; impacts of climate change on flora and fauna. Discussions paid a lot of attention to the challenges posed by the need for more political and financial support from decision makers.

This technical document collects several articles discussing the impact of climate change in the South-East Asia Region. Two of them highlight that among the most vulnerable people in the context of climate change are those who live in remote places and whose livelihood depends on the natural ecosystems. Climate change forces them to abandon their traditional ways of life, thereby driving them into an uncertain future. The third article analyses the special vulnerability of Bangladesh. The others address the health consequences of climate change.

This technical document includes the proceedings of the National Workshop on Climate Change and Health Organized by WHO and DGHS in association with BCAS. The workshop included presentations on climate change, health impacts and future health problems associated with climate change. Discussion sessions and breakout groups were arranged to highlight the priority issues in health, identify gaps in health services and responses needed to bring the issue of climate change and health impacts to the forefront.

This technical document presents the main outcomes of the National Workshop on Climate Change and Human Health in Nepal; Vulnerability and Impact, Adaptation and Mitigation Kathmandu. Sixty-five representatives of health, environment, meteorology, water supply, agriculture and academic institutions participated in a consultation workshop to debate the effects that climate change may have on health in Nepal. Presentations were made by all sectors involved.

This policy document contains a declaration by the Health Ministers of the WHO’s South-East Asia Region on the impacts of climate change on human health. In the declaration, the Ministers express concern that potential adverse impacts on health could overwhelm the response capacity of the health sector and could jeopardize progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In response to this challenge, Ministers commit to a number of specific actions, listed in the document.

This visual aid document consists of a series of posters on climate change and health.

This technical document contains a general description of the health impacts of climate change and possible adaptation measures. Adaptation is a key response strategy to minimize potential impacts of climate change. A primary objective of adaptation is the reduction, with the least cost, of death, disease, disability and human suffering. The ability to adapt to climate change, and specifically the impacts on health, will depend on many factors including existing infrastructure, resources, technology, information and the level of equity in different countries and regions.

This article (on page 4 of the newsletter) is a review of the potential health effects of desertification and drought. It discusses issues of malnutrition, water, food borne and other infectious diseases, as well as respiratory diseases and burning injuries.

This technical document reviews current knowledge about the effects of heat-waves, includes recommendations for preventive action and identifies measures for reducing heat-related mortality and morbidity such as heat health warning systems and appropriate urban planning and housing design.

This technical document collects case studies, research and experiences on the health impacts of climatic events. This book shows the efforts made by the public health and environment communities to evaluate the effectiveness of the responses to the crises, to assess the early warning systems in place, and to use the lessons learnt to better tailor future activities.

This policy document offers a brief summary of the results of the research project «climate change and adaptation strategies for human health» (cCASHh), coordinated by WHO and supported by the European Commission. cCASHh identified a range of options that have been taken or could be taken by European policy-makers to prevent, prepare and respond to the effects of weather and climate variability on people’s health.

This policy document presents the full results of a three-year European collaborative project on climate change and adaptation strategies for human health (cCASHh). This project was the result of the third Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health discussions among European ministers of health and the environment who acknowledged that human-induced changes in the global climate system and in stratospheric ozone pose a range of severe health risks and potentially threaten economic development and social and political stability.

This technical document introduces the Lyme borreliosis (LB). This is the most common vector-borne disease in Europe, caused by a bacterium which is transmitted to humans by ticks. As ticks are highly sensitive to changes in seasonal climate, climate-induced changes can influence human exposure to infected ticks and thus disease prevalence. Future climate change in Europe will facilitate a spread of LB into higher latitudes and altitudes, contributing to increased disease occurrence in endemic areas, while LB will disappear in areas that will become too hot and dry for tick survival.

This technical document is the report of a joint ECDC/WHO/EEA/JRC workshop held in Stockholm, Sweden, 29-30 March 2007. The aim of the meeting was to review evidence related to the implications of global climate and ecological change on the communicable disease burden of Europe, assess the preparedness of health systems, develop scientific advice, identify research needs, and make recommendations to Member States.