Abstracts

Climate Change and Health Research

Jacinthe Seguin¹ and Anita Walker
¹Health Canada
Jacinthe_Seguin@hc-sc.gc.ca

There is growing evidence that the global climate is changing and that these changes will have profound effects on the health and well-being of citizens in countries throughout the world. Canadians are already experiencing health concerns associated with climate change related events including increased air pollution, temperature related moribidity and mortality, water and food-borne contamination, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, stratospheric ozone depletion and extreme weather events.

Health Canada, with its mission to help the people of Canada maintain and improve their health, has funded research to better understand the implications of climate change on the health of Canadians and their communities. This presentation will outline the pathways by which climate change impacts human health, how the Health Policy Research Program at Health Canada funded research on some of these issues, and how the Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment 2007 is undertaking new research in the areas of air quality, natural hazards, and adaptive capacity to address the impacts and adaptation to a changing climate in Canada.

2005-04-05