Climate change and human health: impacts, vulnerability, and mitigation

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 367; no. 9528; pp. 2101 - 2109
• Main Authors: Haines, A, Kovats, R S, Campbell-Lendrum, D, Corvalan, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Limited 24.06.2006
• Subjects: Aged; Air pollution; Climate; Climate adaptation; Climate change; Climate change mitigation; Communicable Diseases - etiology; Disaster risk; Disasters; Disease; Drought; Energy efficiency; Fossil fuels; Greenhouse gases; Heat waves; Human influences; Humans; Infectious diseases; Low income areas; Malnutrition; Mortality; Public health; Public Health - trends; Renewable energy technologies; Risk assessment; Risk factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Studies; Temperature; Vector-borne diseases
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68933-2

It is now widely accepted that climate change is occurring as a result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere arising from the combustion of fossil fuels. Climate change may affect health through a range of pathways--eg, as a result of increased frequency and intensity of heat waves, reduction in cold-related deaths, increased floods and droughts, changes in the distribution of vector-borne diseases, and effects on the risk of disasters and malnutrition. The overall balance of effects on health is likely to be negative and populations in low-income countries are likely to be particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects. The experience of the 2003 heat wave in Europe shows that high-income countries might also be adversely affected. Adaptation to climate change requires public-health strategies and improved surveillance. Mitigation of climate change by reducing the use of fossil fuels and increasing the use of a number of renewable energy technologies should improve health in the near term by reducing exposure to air pollution.