Research to leverage public health interventions to address adaptation to climate change. Dr Saqib Shahab Community Medicine Program, University of Alberta.

Research to leverage public health interventions to address adaptation to climate change.

Dr Saqib ShahabCommunity Medicine Program, University of Alberta

Bamako, 17 November 2008

Acknowledgements

• Dr Abdul Ghaffar RA, EMRO, WHO• Professor Stephen Matlin, and the Global

Forum for Health Research

• Strengthening the base: preparing health research for climate change

• Strengthening the base: innovation and convergence in climate change and public health

Aim

• How can research – inform and assist public health – at the operational and policy level – in the face of current and impending

significant climate change

IPCC 2007

Objectives

1. Identify commonalities in climate change and public and environmental health research and intervention.

2. Discuss how integrating climate change, public health and environmental sustainability can have a synergistic impact.

Finding entry points for action and navigating dichotomies

Mitigation

Adaptation

Research

NORTH

SOUTH

The 10/90 gap and need for innovative strategies

• The 10/90 gap in research and intervention in climate change.

• The 10/90 gap in research and intervention in public health.

• Innovative strategies for research in climate change and public health.

An un equal burden- mortality from climate change

Climate change will contribute only a small portion initially to overall preventable deaths

Disease Annual Deaths Climate change component (Deaths / % of total)

Diarrhoeal Diseases

2 million 47,000 (2%)

Malaria 1.1 million 27,000 (2%)

Malnutrition 3.7 million 77,000 (2%)

Stern 2006, WHO

Shahab Global Forum Health Research 2008

Application of research and interventions

Level of implementation

Key tools

Individual Education

Household Empowerment

Community Information; resilience; facilitation

Region / Country Policy; regulation; financing; equity

Global Collaboration; equity; financing

Shahab Global Forum Health Research 2008

Is research enough?

Shahab Global Forum Health Research 2008

Where to begin? Primary vs. secondary vs. tertiary prevention

Shahab Global Forum Health Research 2008

Public health approach

• Think global, act local

• Be inter sectoral

• Engage academia, government, civil society and communities

• Minimize contradictory messaging, duplication and wastage of resources.

Three key points

• Climate change should be an integral part of public health planning.

• Partnering with a wide variety of stakeholders, as appropriate, is essential.

• Climate change research to minimize public health impacts needs to be multidisciplinary, applicable to local contexts, and sustainable.

Shahab Global Forum Update on Research for Health 2008

Incorporate climate change health impacts into public health planning

• Estimate current and future impacts of climate change when planning public health interventions

• For each public health intervention- assess if there will be an impact of climate change- and adjust for that.

• Climate change should be one of the variables when estimating the impact and outcomes of public health interventions.

Shahab Global Forum Update on Research for Health 2008

Partner with stakeholders• Partner with other stakeholders outside

the health sector.• Continue to advocate for mitigation as the

ultimate goal to address climate change.• Maximize the diffusion of innovations

through civil society and the internet.• Incorporate climate change mitigation and

adaptation in intra- and inter-sectoral planning.

Shahab Global Forum Update on Research for Health 2008

Support innovation, collaboration and knowledge translation in

research• Trans-disciplinary research funding.

• Knowledge translation and collaboration

• Surveillance systems that monitor the impact of climate change as an integral part of health status and assessment.

• Research translated into locally relevant, cost effective and sustainable interventions.

Shahab Global Forum Update on Research for Health 2008

Urgent public health steps required NOW

• Protection and assurance of water supplies and sanitation

• Control for vector-borne diseases

• Health education and promotion, especially related to thermal stress.

• Inter sectoral approaches for improving environment, food security and alleviating poverty

Additional public health co benefits of incorporating climate change issues in health, environment, industry, urban planning

• Public transit systems-Improved air quality

• Healthy local diets and physical activity

• Increased social cohesion in the built environment

• Sustainable and greener manufacturing and reuse / recycling

Pragmatic approach

• Invest in public health now AND climate change adaptation / mitigation for the future

• Hope and advocate for the best, plan and prepare for the worst

• Investments in public health are beneficial irrespective of the climate change trajectory