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Muccione V, Biesbroek R, Harper S, Haasnoot M. Towards a more integrated research framework for heat-related health risks and adaptation. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e61-e67. [PMID: 38199725 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00254-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Advances in research on current and projected heat-related risks from climate change and the associated responses have rapidly developed over the past decade. Modelling architectures of climate impacts and heat-related health risks have become increasingly sophisticated alongside a growing number of experiments and socioeconomic studies, and possible options for heat-related health adaptation are increasingly being catalogued and assessed. However, despite this progress, these efforts often remain isolated streams of research, substantially hampering our ability to contribute to evidence-informed decision making on responding to heat-related health risks. We argue that the integration of scientific efforts towards more holistic research is urgently needed to tackle fragmented evidence and identify crucial knowledge gaps, so that health research can better anticipate and respond to heat-related health risks in the context of a changing climate. In this Personal View, we outline six building blocks, each constituting a research stream, but each needed as part of a more integrated research framework-namely, projected heat-related health risks; adaptation options; the feasibility and effectiveness of adaptation; synergies, trade-offs, and co-benefits of adaptation; adaptation limits and residual risks; and adaptation pathways. We outline their respective importance and discuss their benefits for health-related research and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veruska Muccione
- Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - Robbert Biesbroek
- Public Administration and Policy Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sherilee Harper
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Marjolijn Haasnoot
- Deltares, Delft, Netherlands; Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Pourzand F, Bolton A, Salter C, Hales S, Woodward A. Health and climate change: adaptation policy in Aotearoa New Zealand. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. WESTERN PACIFIC 2023; 40:100954. [PMID: 38116504 PMCID: PMC10730324 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2023.100954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Recent extreme weather events attributable to climate change have major implications for policy. Here we summarize and evaluate the current state of climate change adaptation policy, from a health perspective, for Aotearoa New Zealand, based on government sources. Legislation relating to both environmental management and health are currently subject to major reforms. At present, adaptation policy emphasises protection of health care facilities from climate extremes; there is insufficient attention paid to broader determinants of health. We argue for greater health input into adaptation planning. Without intersectoral collaboration, contributions from diverse communities, and better support of indigenous solutions, climate change policy is unlikely to achieve effective health outcomes and there is a risk that climate change will exacerbate inequities. We recommend that the Climate Change Commission engage formally and directly with health bodies to strengthen the Commission's advice on the implications of climate change, and of national climate change policies, on health and equity. Climate resilient development does not occur without better public health. For this reason, the health sector has a critical role in the development and implementation of adaptation policy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annette Bolton
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Research (ESR), Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Claire Salter
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Research (ESR), Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Simon Hales
- University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
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Barteit S, Sié A, Zabré P, Traoré I, Ouédraogo WA, Boudo V, Munga S, Khagayi S, Obor D, Muok E, Franke J, Schwarz M, Blass K, Su TT, Bärnighausen T, Sankoh O, Sauerborn R. Widening the lens of population-based health research to climate change impacts and adaptation: the climate change and health evaluation and response system (CHEERS). Front Public Health 2023; 11:1153559. [PMID: 37304117 PMCID: PMC10248881 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1153559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Climate change significantly impacts health in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), exacerbating vulnerabilities. Comprehensive data for evidence-based research and decision-making is crucial but scarce. Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites (HDSSs) in Africa and Asia provide a robust infrastructure with longitudinal population cohort data, yet they lack climate-health specific data. Acquiring this information is essential for understanding the burden of climate-sensitive diseases on populations and guiding targeted policies and interventions in LMICs to enhance mitigation and adaptation capacities. Objective The objective of this research is to develop and implement the Change and Health Evaluation and Response System (CHEERS) as a methodological framework, designed to facilitate the generation and ongoing monitoring of climate change and health-related data within existing Health and Demographic Surveillance Sites (HDSSs) and comparable research infrastructures. Methods CHEERS uses a multi-tiered approach to assess health and environmental exposures at the individual, household, and community levels, utilizing digital tools such as wearable devices, indoor temperature and humidity measurements, remotely sensed satellite data, and 3D-printed weather stations. The CHEERS framework utilizes a graph database to efficiently manage and analyze diverse data types, leveraging graph algorithms to understand the complex interplay between health and environmental exposures. Results The Nouna CHEERS site, established in 2022, has yielded significant preliminary findings. By using remotely-sensed data, the site has been able to predict crop yield at a household level in Nouna and explore the relationships between yield, socioeconomic factors, and health outcomes. The feasibility and acceptability of wearable technology have been confirmed in rural Burkina Faso for obtaining individual-level data, despite the presence of technical challenges. The use of wearables to study the impact of extreme weather on health has shown significant effects of heat exposure on sleep and daily activity, highlighting the urgent need for interventions to mitigate adverse health consequences. Conclusion Implementing the CHEERS in research infrastructures can advance climate change and health research, as large and longitudinal datasets have been scarce for LMICs. This data can inform health priorities, guide resource allocation to address climate change and health exposures, and protect vulnerable communities in LMICs from these exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Barteit
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ali Sié
- Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso
| | - Pascal Zabré
- Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso
| | - I Traoré
- Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Valentin Boudo
- Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna, Nouna, Burkina Faso
| | | | | | - David Obor
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Erick Muok
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | | | - Klaus Blass
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tin Tin Su
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) and Global Public Health, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Till Bärnighausen
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Osman Sankoh
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Statistics Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Rainer Sauerborn
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Vo MV, Ebi KL, Busch Isaksen TM, Hess JJ, Errett NA. Addressing Capacity Constraints of Rural Local Health Departments to Support Climate Change Adaptation: Action Is Needed Now. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13651. [PMID: 36294229 PMCID: PMC9602968 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Looming climate change health impacts among rural communities will require a robust health system response. To reduce health inequities and promote climate justice, rural local health departments (LHDs) must be adequately resourced and supported to engage in climate change mitigation and adaptation policy and program development and implementation. In the United States, small local tax bases, overreliance on revenue from fee-based services, and limited federal funding to support climate change and health programming, have left rural LHDs with limited and inflexible human, financial, and political capital to support engagement in local climate change activities. Because of the urgent demands stemming from climate change, additional investments and supports are needed to rapidly build the capacity and capability of rural LHDs. Federal and state approaches to public health funding should consider the unique climate change and health risks of rural communities. Further, cross-jurisdictional shared service arrangements and state-level support to build rural LHDs' technical capacity, and research on local impacts and culturally appropriate solutions, must be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew V. Vo
- Public Health–Global Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kristie L. Ebi
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE), University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Tania M. Busch Isaksen
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE), University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jeremy J. Hess
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE), University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nicole A. Errett
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
- Center for Health and the Global Environment (CHanGE), University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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