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Climate Change and the Health of Canadians: Understanding Risks to
Protect Canadians
Institute for Science, Society and PolicyUniversity of Ottawa March 5, 2019
Peter Berry Ph.D.Climate Change and Innovation BureauSafe Environments DirectorateHealth Canada
Presentation Overview
• Climate change risks to health
• Understanding risks and vulnerabilities to support adaptation
• Current activities to protect Canadians
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CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS TO HEALTH
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Evidence of Climate Change - “Warming is unequivocal”Global Land and Ocean Temperature Anomalies, January - December(Annual anomalies relative to 20th century)
NOAA, 2017
2016 was the hottest year on record
Canada is Warming Faster
Projected Warming in Canada - Winter
https://i0.wp.com/prairieclimatecentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2051-2080-RCP85-Mean-Temp-Delta-January.jpg
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Awareness of climate change impactson health
• Seven in ten climate change believers (69%) were able to identify (without prompting) at least one way in which climate change potentially affects health.
• Awareness of any one specific effect is relatively low, with various mentions of air quality impacts (21%), fluctuation in the weather (14%), water quality impacts (11%) and infectious diseases (10%), among others.
• Three in ten either cannot think of any (11%) or maintain that there are none (20%).
Environics, 2017
Projected Risks from Lyme Disease to Canadians
Ogden et al., 20088
Potential Impacts on Air Quality
• Ground-level ozone
• Particulate matter
• Aeroallergens (eg., from trees, grasses, weeds, moulds, dustmites)
• Fungi and infectious bacteria
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs)
• Carbon monoxide (CO)
Berry et al., 2014
Extreme Heat in Canadian CommunitiesA 2009 extreme heat event in British Columbia contributed to over 100 excess deaths in the province’s lower mainland area. (Kosatsky, 2010)
An extreme heat event in 2010 in Quebec resulted in an estimated excess of 280 deaths (Bustinza et al., 2013)
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Fort McMurray fire increases PTSD,
depression, insomnia (2016)
93 heat–related deaths in Quebec
(2018)
Health Impacts of Climate Variability and Change
156 heat–related deaths in BC
(2009)
Whitehorse grocery stores impacted by
mudslides (2012)
1300% increase nationally in
Lyme disease cases (2009-
2017)
Ice storm overwhelms
some hospitals in Quebec (1998)
BC wildfires –affect 19 health facilities; 880
patients evacuated; 700 staff displaced
(2017)
Several health facilities closed
around Calgary due to flooding (2013)
UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VULNERABILITIES TO
SUPPORT ADAPTATION
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Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessments
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http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/104200
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Climate Hazard Populations of Concern Potential Mental Health
OutcomesIndicators and Measurement
Tools
Extreme Weather Event(flood, hurricane, drought, mudslides, etc.)
• Gender (Female)• Sex (Female, particularly
pregnant women)• Age (children, infants,
older adults)• Race and ethnicity (non-
Caucasian, non-white)• Immigrants • People with pre-existing
health conditions• People with low-
socioeconomic status• The under and non-
insured (health care and home insurance)
• The under-housed and homeless
• Outdoor laborers• First responders• Indigenous Peoples
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Depression (including major depressive disorders)
• Anxiety• Suicidal ideation• Aggression• Substance abuse
and addiction• Violence• Survivor guilt• Vicarious trauma• Altruism• Compassion• Post-traumatic
growth• Other
• SurveysSelf-report surveys of
general health. Self-report surveys of mental
illness and mental problems. Consider using any, or a combination of:
Self-report surveys of affirmative mental health. Consider using:
• Patient Records• Monitor emergency
department visits after extreme weather events for an increase in patients reporting mental health problems or illness.
• Review of new prescription use for mental health and behavioral disorders after an extreme weather event
• Interviews
Adapted from: Hayes K, Poland B. Addressing mental health in a changing climate: Incorporating mental health indicators into climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(9). doi:10.3390/ijerph15091806
Mental Health Impacts of Extreme Weather
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Factors that influence individual and community level vulnerability to extreme heat events
Health Canada, 2011
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/climate-change-health/adapting-extreme-heat-events-guidelines-assessing-health-vulnerability-health-canada-2011.html
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Science Needs to Support Effective Health Adaptation
Climate Change and Health
Vulnerability Assessments
Monitoring and Surveillance of Health Impacts
Projecting Future Health
Impacts
Building Healthy Climate Resilient
Communities
• Few studies • Uncertainty and downscaling• Capturing other trends
• Monitoring and surveillance
• Measuring challenges• Identifying indicators
• Few assessment studies • Methods – effectiveness of
adaptations • Time and resources
• Multi-sectoral collaboration
• Maximizing co-benefits• Research/policy
interface
CURRENT ACTIVITIES TO PROTECT CANADIANS
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"Tackling climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century"
Lancet Commission on Climate and Health, 2015
Historic Gains in Protecting HealthOver the last 55 years, death rates in children under 5 years of age has decreased from 214 per 1000 live births to 59.
Over the same time, life expectancy has increased from 47 years to 69 years.
Improved disaster education, early warning systems, network of cyclone shelters
Adaptation Progress in Bangladesh
2007 Cyclone Sidr – 3,400 deaths
1991 cyclone – 140,000 deaths
Cyclone Bhola (1970) – 500,000 deathsIPCC, 2014
Federal Health Partners are taking action on climate change
• Heat and Health Risk Program • Extreme Heat & Health Risk Assessment (National Assessment 2021)
• Information and Action for Resilience • National Monitoring and Surveillance Program & Capacity Building in
the Health Sector based on US model (`BRACE`)
HC
• Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program for First Nations & Inuit Communities
• North and South of 60• Community-driven and culturally relevant adaptation planning & actions
ISC
• Infectious Disease and Climate Change Program • Vector-borne, Water-borne, Zoonotic• Research, surveillance, lab diagnostics, knowledge translation, health
professional education• Métis
PHAC
• Climate Change and Health Research Initiative • Focus on food security in the North and Lyme diseaseCIHR
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Health of Canadians in a
Changing Climate:
Advancing Our Knowledge for
Action 2021
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/environment/impacts-
adaptation/21189
Canadian Health Vulnerability Assessments
National• 1995 (Royal Society)
• 1998 (GOC)
• 2008 (Health Canada)
• 2014 (GOC)
• 2021 (planned)
Sub-National • Peel Region (2014)
• Surrey, BC (2014)
• Middlesex – London (2015)
• Simcoe Muskoka (2017)
• Northwestern Health Unit (ongoing)
• York (ongoing)
• Hamilton (ongoing)
• Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (ongoing)
Building the Knowledge Base – Student Contributions
• Food and Food Insecurity Chapter –CCHA 2021
• Water and Water Insecurity Chapter –CCHA 2021
• Mental Health Chapter – CCHA 2021
• Adapting Mental Health Programs in Canada to the Impacts of Climate Change
• Health co- ‘benefits’ and ‘risks’ in climate change mitigation technologies and policies: A review for Canada
THANK YOUPeter Berry Ph.D.
Climate Change and Innovation BureauSafe Environments DirectorateHealth [email protected]
Adjunct Assistant ProfessorFaculty of EnvironmentUniversity of [email protected]