Climate Change and Health

Dr Felicity Harvey CBE

Director General

Public Health Directorate

Department of Health

• Climate change and health – international work

• Climate change and health – UK & Regional impact

• SDU - NHS & Public health - PHOF and ARP

• Midlands & East – shining examples

Climate Change and HealthGeneral Outline of Talk

• WHO Resolution on Climate Change and Health (61.12), 2008

• Commonwealth Ministers agreement to cooperate on climate change and health. WHA, May 2008

• UK co-chaired the WHO (Europe) Climate Change Task Force, to develop a Framework for Action on Climate Change and Health.

• WHO European Environment and Health 5th Ministerial Conference, Parma, 2010

International collaboration

‘Climate Change is Global’

Protecting health in an environment challenged by climate change:

WHO European Regional Framework for Action

Health sector will need to plan for these health impacts and adapt to expected climate changes by:

– ensuring health is included in climate change plans;

– strengthening health, social and environmental systems;

– raising awareness to encourage healthy policies in all sectors;

– reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the health and environment sectors;

– sharing best practice, tools and research on climate change.

Health Impacts of Climate ChangeDeveloping the UK evidence – 2002/08/2012

• Heatwave-related health problems

• Aeroallergens – pollen etc

• Air pollution – Respiratory & Cardiovascular effects

• Indoor environment

• UV - Sunburn, skin cancer and cataracts

• Flooding / mental health consequences

• Vector-borne diseases

• Water & Food-borne disease

• Extreme weather-related events (injuries/death)

• But, decrease in cold-related illness & deaths

For summer average temperature, we see significant increases over the decades to the 2080s

6

East Midlandscentral estimate

Medium emissions

Increased tourism

Increased heat stress

Infrastructure risks

Risks to biodiversity

Heat related deaths

Risk to food security

For the 2080s, it is very unlikely that the change will be lower than1.8ºC and very unlikely that it will be higher than 5.8ºC

But temperature on the hottest day of the year could be up to 9ºC higher

Example of UK Climate Projections (UKCP09): Summer average temperature, significant increases over the

decades to the 2080s

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East of England central estimate

Medium emissions

Increased Tourism

Increased Heat stress

Infrastructure risks

Risks to biodiversity

Heat related deaths

Risk to Food Security

The change for the 2080s is very unlikely to be less than1.9ºC and very unlikely to be more than 5.9ºC

But the temperature on the hottest day of the year could increase by up to 9ºC

NHS Sustainable Development Unit

• NHS Sustainable Development Unit.– Adaptation to Climate Change in

NHS Organisations – what you need to know, 2010 / 2012

– PHOF – SDMP indicator– Guidance on writing SDMPs,

2012

– ARP

– DH £50m capital fund

www.sdu.nhs.uk

Guidance produced…

Health Co-benefits

• Lancet co-benefits research, Nov 2009, LSHTM

• Health benefits of low carbon actions in transport, built environment, food and agriculture, both in the UK and the developing world

• Eg Health benefits from low car use

– increased active transport

– reduce obesity,

– reduce urban pollution,

– reduce road traffic accidents.

– ‘Greener’ fuels also lead to reduced indoor and outdoor air pollution.

• Currently 800,000 deaths per year from outdoor air pollution, 1.5 million from indoor air pollution, 1.9 million from physical inactivity and 2.6 million from obesity (WHO European region).

• WHO ‘Health in the Green Economy’ series

Lower carbon saves lives! – and money!

Shining examples in Midlands & East

BMJ Sustainable Healthcare winner 2011 •NHS Nottingham City, NHS Nottinghamshire County and the Nottingham Energy Partnership, UK •for reducing their carbon footprint.

Public Sector Sustainability awards, HEALTH/NHS 2012•Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C) •named the Most Sustainable NHS Organisation in the Country

•The Trust has seen significant successes, having reduced its carbon footprint by around 865 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) during 2011/2012 and reduced its carbon footprint by 9% since 2007/2008.

BMJ Sustainable Healthcare Award 2011•Sandwell PCT has been at the forefront of implementing Good Corporate Citizenship and Carbon Management work over the past 3 years. •The PCT has made tremendous progress in reducing its carbon footprint and introducing a number of initiatives to support this aim.

North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group

Sustainability Journey

• Nominated Board lead and early sign up, presentation to Board by NHS SDU• Sustainable Development Action Plan in place • Undertaking Good Corporate Citizenship (GCC) self assessment• CCG assessment will inform SDMP • Business cases being assessed against social, economic and environmental

benefits• Sustainable Commissioning 5 year vision:

• Public Services (Social Value) Act (wider social, economic and environmental considerations in place

• Integrated health and social care• Services built around people and local communities using local

facilities• Joint commissioning with Essex County Council

Thank you

Dr Felicity Harvey CBE

Director General

Public Health Directorate

Department of Health