Health and Climate Change

Dianne KatscherianDepartment of Health

Contents

• Introduction• DOH and Climate Change• Health Impacts from Climate

Change• Temperature related health

impacts: Extreme events and temperature

increases• Direct Impacts to health• Other Impacts to health• Risk Assessments• Adaptation responses• LG Planning for Health

Introduction

• Changes will affect environmental, human and built systems and alter the way we live

• The impacts on human health and safety could be of major significance

• Important we understand the potential health impacts and develop appropriate adaptation responses

DOH and Climate Change• WA Greenhouse Strategy

(GHS) and the Premier’s Climate Change Action Statement Making Decisions for the Future: Climate Change committed Government sectors to actions

• WA Health responses included assessment of impacts of climate change on population of WA

• Undertook Health Impact Assessment of climate change in collaboration with the WHO Centre for Environmental and Health Impact Assessment at Curtin University

Health impacts identified:• The impacts from

environmental changes were identified as:– Health impacts of extreme events– Health impacts of temperature

related events– Water-borne diseases– Vector-borne diseases– Air Quality Health Impacts– Food-borne diseases– Health Impacts from Food Production– Social/Community/Lifestyle Impacts,

and– General Principles and Adaptation

Measures.

Temperature related health impacts:

Extreme events and Temperature increases

Temperatures in WA• WA is likely to become warmer, especially in

inland areas, with more hot days and fewer cold nights

• And has been estimated that the number of days above 35ºC could average:Location Current 2030 2070 2100

Perth 27 29-43 56 72

Broome 54 64-141

Kalumburu 140 168-214

Halls Creek 156 168-214

Climate variable 2030 2070

Mean summer temperature (ºC) +0.5 to +2.1 +1.0 to +6.5

Mean winter temperature (ºC) +0.5 to +2.0 +1.0 to +5.5

Direct Impacts to Health from Heat

• The human body maintains body temperature in ambient temperatures not exceeding 32 degrees.

• Above this temperature, heat lost through the skin and sweating.

• Heat-related illness occurs when the body unable to adequately cool.

• Minimum ambient temperatures are also important– Difficulties cooling when minimum temperatures

greater than 22 degrees• High humidity reduces effectiveness of sweating

and increases the risk of heat-related illness at any given temperature.

Relative Atmospheric temperature (oC)

Humidity(%) 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44

0% 25 27 28 30 32 33 35 36 37 38

10% 25 27 28 30 32 33 35 37 39 41

20% 26 27 28 30 32 34 37 39 42 46

30% 26 27 29 31 33 36 39 43 47 52

40% 26 28 30 32 35 39 43 48 54 6050% 27 28 31 34 38 43 49 55 62

60% 27 29 33 37 42 48 55 62

70% 27 31 35 40 47 54 63

80% 28 32 38 44 52 61

90% 28 34 41 49 58

100% 28 36 44 56

At an apparent temperature, (Ta) of:32-40 Heat cramps or heat exhaustion possible41-54 Heat cramps or heat exhaustion likely, heat stroke possible54-more Heat stroke highly likelyExposure to full sunshine can increase the heat index value by up to 8oC

Heat Illness• Heat cramps – muscular pains and spasms.

– Are the least severe– Early signal of concerns with heat

• Heat exhaustion – body fluids are lost through heavy sweating– Typically with heavy exercise or work in a hot, humid

place – Blood flow to the skin increases causing a decrease of

flow to vital organs. – Results in mild shock with cold, clammy and pale skin

together with fainting and vomiting. – If not treated the victim may suffer heat stroke;

• Heat stroke – is life threatening. – The temperature control system stops working. – If body temperature >39oC, potential for brain damage

and death if cooling does not occur.

Vulnerability• Those at greatest risk of harm from high

temperatures include: – The old, especially >65 years – The young, especially <2 years – The pregnant and breastfeeding – The obese – Those who are not acclimatized to the heat,

e.g. new arrivals – Those who have underlying medical conditions,

especially cardiovascular disease – Athletes and other participants in outdoor

recreational activities – Manual labourers, outdoor workers

DOH and Heat Alerts

• DOH puts out alerts for the public when:– Maximum daily temperatures

exceed 35 degrees for 3 days or more

– Minimum daily temperatures exceed 23 degrees for 3 days or more

• Heat wave information on Public Health Website at:http://www.public.health.wa.gov.au

Other Health Impacts from Increased Temperatures

• Water Borne Disease (Gastro-intestinal)– Temperature increase in

recreational waters– Change in incidence of water-

borne pathogens such as cryptosporidium, campylobacter, amoeba

– Increase in toxic algal blooms

• Water Supply (Increased treatment costs)– Warmer temperatures and thus

reduced dissolved oxygen– Reduced water quality– Warmer water from rainwater

tanks

Other Health Impacts from Increased Temperatures

• Food borne Disease (Food Poisoning) – May increase proliferation of bacterial

pathogens including Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria spp.

– May increase mycotoxins and aflatoxins in seafood

• Food Production (Dietary and nutritional changes)– Changes in crop yields and protein

levels (+/-)– Effects on feed intakes and animal

reproduction– Changes to pests, weeds and

diseases– Changes to use of agrochemicals

Other Health Impacts from Increased Temperatures

• Air Quality (Respiratory Effects)– Increased production pollen, aeroallergens,

dust, increased off-gassing of VOCs– Increased risks from particulates associated

with bushfires or controlled burning– Increased use of evaporative air conditioners

and water conserving products (mulch) with links to Legionnaire's Disease

– Increased exposure to pesticides• UV Exposure (Skin cancers, eye disease)

– increase time spent outdoors and thus increase UV exposure

Other Health Impacts from Increased Temperatures

• Vector Borne (Ross River Virus, Barmah Forrest Virus, Dengue, Murray Valley Encephalitis, Other exotic diseases)– Impacts on:

• Complex ecological cycles of the diseases,

• Ability for systems to respond

• Lifestyle/behavioural – Increases in crime - particularly

involving aggression, – Accidents - workplace and

traffic, – Decline in physical health – Hot nights cause sleep

deprivation

Other Health Impacts from Increased Temperatures

• Lifestyle/behavioural – Recreational opportunities - changes to

exercise patterns, – Changes in alcohol consumption, – Stress– Lack of cold water – reduced ability to

cool down• Economic

– Loss of income and/or assets, – Reduction of goods and services, – Higher costs of insurance, food, water, energy– Financial strain for LG’s.

Risk Assessments and HeatRisk Health Impacts arising from:

Extreme Heat events UV exposure Reduced access to health care, food and water Inability to meet energy demand

Extreme/High Fires Changes to air quality

High Flooding Drinking water contamination Pathogens in recreational waters Changes to disease vector distribution and

abundance Exposure to allergens Food Poisoning Impacts to Mental Health

Adaptation Responses

• Health sector not responsible for implementation of actions to mitigate the effects of heat (and other aspects of climate change)

• Requires consideration by sectors tasked with planning for and responding to changes

• LGs have key role in many areas

Adaptation Responses• Must be formulated to cope with the

effects of unavoidable climate change• Can be broken down into measures similar

to those used for public health: – “primary adaptive measures: actions taken to

prevent the onset of disease arising– secondary adaptive measures: preventive

actions taken in response to early evidence of health impacts, and

– tertiary adaptive measures: health-care actions taken to lessen the morbidity or mortality caused by the disease”

• Most LG involvement in Primary and Secondary measures

Adaptation Responses

• Adaptation measures were categorised as:– Legislative or Regulatory– Public Education or Communication– Surveillance and Monitoring– Ecosystem Intervention– Infrastructure Development– Technological/Engineering– Medical Intervention– Research/ Further Information

LG Planning for Health

• Input to regulatory changes:– Minimum energy efficiencies in homes– Limiting power use in high demand/emergency

periods– Energy for essential services and communal

cooling centres– Protection of vulnerable groups – Periodic reassessment of building codes– Other infrastructure requirements– Funding requirements

LG Planning for Health

• Local public health response mechanisms:– Heat Event Response Plans– Air quality improvement plans– Raising awareness locally and increasing

community engagement• Communication to aged care facilities, refuges for

homeless, day-care centres, schools• Communication for difficult to reach groups – remote,

non-English speaking tourists, mobile population• Education campaigns on heat management and

avoidance procedures• Local information (websites, newspapers, etc)• Local partnerships

LG Planning for Health

– Integrated vulnerability assessments– Incorporation of adaptation measures

into long term planning and policies– Monitoring and surveillance programs– Community response mechanisms

LG Planning for Health

• Input to local infrastructure change requirements:– Housing and public buildings (eg, insulation,

guidelines, passive-solar)– Air conditioning unit design– Preventative measures other than air

conditioning– Urban design to reduce urban heat island effect– Costs associated with vegetation loss in

development– Local green space– Water efficiency and building material

improvements– Alternative energy use and diversification of

power supplies

For further information

•For WA Government publications– Office of Climate Change WA

• http://dec.wa.gov.au

•For WA Health Climate Change Publications– Public Health Division

• http://public.health.wa.gov.au

Thank you