Confronting the health risks of climate change: integrating science and public he

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall objective of this project is to evaluate the impact of climate change on human health in the Pacific Northwest region and to assist local communities in their efforts to mitigate health risks. The project design is based on a research-to-practice model. The research of our Climate and Health Science Team will involve analysis of mortality and morbidity risks for two key environmental health consequences of climate change: increases in extreme heat events and worsening air pollution. These environmental health hazards have been selected because they are amenable to quantitative risk analysis and have been shown, through our previous research, to produce significant health impacts in the Pacific Northwest. It is our working hypothesis that quantitative evidence of current and future climate-related health impacts will improve the credibility of public health messages, thereby supporting local health departments in their efforts to communicate risk, and providing them with information that can be used to identify new resources for addressing climate change. We will use these scientific analyses to produce translational science products that will be specific to local communities (i.e., zip code level, county level). The specificity of our health risk predictions should be sufficient to allow local public health officials to identify and address the needs of vulnerable populations in their communities. Our Public Health Practice Team will concurrently develop communications strategies for these health-related aspects of climate change, working with public health officials to engage and support decision makers, health care providers, tribal councils, and the public in these communities as they develop new programs and policies that prevent or mitigate the health risks of climate change. A formative research model will be used to generate information on current practices of stakeholders in regard to climate change. We will also take advantage of existing emergency preparedness and response plans to address climate-related health risks. The goal of these efforts is to motivate program initiation and policy change in these communities. The collaboration of our science and practice teams over the three-year project period will produce a synergism that we believe will 1) be of substantial benefit to these communities as they confront the challenges of climate change and take concrete steps to address its consequences, and 2) serve as a model that can be generalized to a wide range of communities and climate-related health risks. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The overall objective of this project is to evaluate the impact of climate change on human health in the Pacific Northwest region and to assist local communities in their efforts to mitigate health risks. The collaboration of our science and practice teams over the three-year project period will produce a synergism that we believe will 1) be of substantial benefit to these communities as they confront the challenges of climate change and take concrete steps to address its consequences, and 2) serve as a model that can be generalized to a wide range of communities and climate-related health risks.