Presentation from a Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies public forum on climate change by Perry Sheffield, Professor of Pediatrics and Preventative Medicine, Mount Sinai

1. Human Health under a
Changing Climate
Perry Sheffield, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine
Mount Sinai S h l of M di i
M t Si i School f Medicine
Cary Institute forum on “Climate Change in the Hudson
Valley: Preparing at the Local Level”
Level
October 22, 2011

2. Health Effects of Climate Change - Direct
Climate Impacts Direct Health Effects
More intense and Heat stress,
frequent Heat Waves cardiovascular disease
Stagnant Air Masses, Asthma, respiratory
Air Pollution illness, cardiovascular
,
disease
More Frequent Heavy Drowning, direct injury
Rainfall Events
Slide text from G. Luber, CDC.

3. Health Effects of Climate Change - Indirect
Climate Impacts Indirect Health Effects
Effects on key Impacts on vector-borne and
vector borne
ecosystem parameters zoonotic disease
Heavy precipitation
Water-borne diseases,
events will become
harmful algal blooms,
more frequent
q
Increase in areas Changes in food sources,
affected by drought malnutrition, forced
migration
Slide text from G. Luber, CDC.

4. Heat Waves and Public Health
• Heat wave or extreme heat events
– Period of very hot and humid weather that can
make people very sick and even lead to death
p p y
• Scientists project that NYC could have 40 to 89
days annually with 90 degree heat – or hotter
y y g
• NYC August 2006: 40 heat stroke deaths and
100 more deaths than expected
Slide text from Nathan Graber, NYC DOH

5. Ground-level ozone (O3)
from Queensland Government EPA, www.epa.qld.gov.au

6. Change in O3-related asthma emergency department
visits for children (0–17 years) in 2020s vs 1990s
Sheffield et al, AJPM 2011.

7. Climate, Pollen
,
and Asthma:
possible
mechanisms
From: Beggs and Bambrick,
EHP 2005

8. West Nile virus in mosquitoes,
New York State, 2008
NYSERDA
ClimAID
team,
2010.

9. Vulnerability factors – extreme heat example
1. Underlying medical conditions
• Heart d lung di
H t and l diseases, e.g.
2. Demographics
• Race, age, education
R d ti
3. Housing
• Top floor apartments, air conditioning
4. Community geography
• Heat island, vegetation density
O’Neill & Ebi, JOEM 2009

10. Survey of local health departments in NYS
Carr et al, JPHMP In press.

11. Heat adaptation efforts
• Policy: Emergency plan, weather service alerts
• Surveillance
S ill
• Structural interventions: cooling centers, A/C’s
• Education/outreach

12. Take-Home Messages
g
 Health effects from heat, air pollution, and
pollen and other risks are more challenging to
address as climate changes in the U.S.
 Along with climate change, vulnerability factors
change
will be key in determining health impacts
 More surveillance systems are needed to track
key climate-health indicators
 Adaptation planning can begin now with
currently available information