Health concerns are to often excluded from the great climate change debate
By Nathan Johnson
Climate change is a problem of such broad dimensions that it is difficult to break down conveniently in terms of specific impacts on specific sectors. The environmental consequences of climate change are the most obvious, but there are also political, economic, social and security concerns that come into play. All of these concerns were debated, with varying degrees of success, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia (Dec. 3-14), but what went largely ignored at the conference were the direct and indirect effects of climate change on human health.
Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), has stated publicly that climate change will be this century's "defining issue for public health." Given the worst-case climate change scenarios that scientists have modelled (and even some of more optimistic ones), Chan is not engaging in hyperbole. In fact, nearly every single climate change phenomenon will carry health-related consequences in some way or other. As a result, various health-sector professionals and journalists are trying to come up with ways communicate more clearly and effectively the close relationship between climate change and health. In the words of WHO's Roberto Bertollini: "Climate change has moved to the forefront, but not with health as the focus."
Bertollini agrees with claims that global warming is contributing to an increase in extreme weather events, and is also concerned that many of the major killers (viruses and vector-borne diseases) are climate sensitive. He believes that health professionals and agencies need to study the observable effects of climate change in order to provide tangible links between climate change and health. Precise details are important, he says, because mere predictions and forecasts can be risky in trying to convince target audiences. Bertollini adds, however, that such prognosticating can be useful in terms of trying to set specific health organisation goals.