Health Effects Of Climate Change

Numerous health consequences are occurring or will occur as a result of climate change, according to a report released by an interagency working group led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Topping the list of health effects are asthma and other respiratory diseases, cancer, heart disease and stroke, food- and waterborne diseases, developmental and neurological effects, and vectorborne diseases such as malaria. The report provides a first step toward coordinating federal research efforts aimed at increasing knowledge of the health impacts resulting from climate change. “This white paper articulates, in a concrete way, that human beings are vulnerable in many ways to the health effects of climate change,” NIEHS Director Linda S. Birnbaum said in a statement. “It lays out both what we know and what we need to know about these effects.” The report recommends more research to identify who is most vulnerable to the potential health impacts and what measures are likely to be beneficial. It also examines the current health care infrastructure and efforts to communicate and educate the public.