For example, worsening air pollution levels can have negative impacts on respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Changes in temperature and rainfall can alter the survival, distribution, and behavior of insects and other species that can lead to changes in infectious diseases. Increases in precipitation, storm surge, and sea temperature can lead to more water-related illnesses. Climate change can also affect food safety, exposing people to contaminated foods that can result in foodborne illnesses. In addition, climate change can affect mental health and well-being.
Exposure to climate-related hazards can include biological, chemical, or physical stressors and can differ in time, locations, populations, and severity. These are referred to as exposure pathways. These threats can occur simultaneously, resulting in compounding health impacts. Climate change threats may also accumulate over time, leading to longer-term changes in resilience and health.
Climate change can affect human health by changing the severity, duration, or frequency of health problems and by creating unprecedented or unanticipated health problems or health threats in places or populations where they have not previously occurred. While everyone is exposed to climate-related health threats, not everyone experiences the same harms. Individuals may experience greater risk from climate-related health effects because: they have greater exposure to climate-related hazards; they are more sensitive to the effects of climate stressors; their own present state of health and wellbeing; or they do not have sufficient capacity or resources to cope or remove themselves from harm. An effective public health response to mitigate the risks of climate change is essential to preventing injuries and illnesses and enhancing overall public health preparedness.
NIEHS supports research that can be used to make decisions that can help reduce the threats of climate change. In the 2016 report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health: A Scientific Assessment, the Interagency Working Group on Climate Change and Health describes seven different types of health threats that help outline the major research areas.
Guest Editorial