A presentation on how decisions in health care and medicine can be uncertain)

1. Uncertainty in
health care and climate change
decision making
Roman Fishchuk

2. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, August 2008

3. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, August 2008

4. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, August 2008

5. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, August 2008

6. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, August 2008

7. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, August 2008

8. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, August 2008

9. Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, August 2008

10. Uncertainty in
health care and climate change
decision making

11. Uncertainty?

12. Uncertainty
Lack of sureness about someone or
something that may range from a falling
short of certainty to an almost complete
lack of conviction or knowledge especially
about an outcome or result.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

13. What are we certain about concerning climate
change and health?
Climate changes!
These changes influence healthcare sector as
well.

14. About Mount Pinatubo
On June 15, 1991 the second largest volcanic eruption of the
twentieth century took place on the island of Luzon in the
Phillippines.
Millions of tons of sulphur dioxide were discharged into the
atmosphere, resulting in a decrease in the temperature
worldwide over the next few years.
Sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere mixes with water and
oxygen to become sulphuric acid, which in turn triggers
ozone depletion.

15. The eruption is believed to have influenced
such events as 1993 floods along the
Mississippi river and the drought in the
Sahel region of Africa.
Overall, the cooling effects of the Mount
Pinatubo eruption were greater than those
of the El Niño that was taking place at the
time or of the greenhouse gas warming of
the planet.

16. Interesting suggestion
Paul Crutzen, the 1995 Nobel prize winner
for chemistry, suggests to inject about 1
million of sulphur a year into the
stratosphere.

18. Interesting suggestion
Paul Crutzen, the 1995 Nobel prize winner for
chemistry, suggests to inject about 1 million of
sulphur a year into the stratosphere.
The added layer of sulphates located 10 miles
above the surface would increase the reflectivity
(albedo) of the Earth and add a "positive cooling
effect".

20. About sulphur
Elemental sulphur is not toxic, but many
simple sulphur derivates are, such as
sulphur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen
sulphide.
Sulphur can be found commonly in nature as
sulphides. During several processes sulphur
bonds are added to the environment that are
damaging to animals, as well as humans.

21. The sulphur cycle

22. Globally sulphuric substances can have the following
effects on human health:
- Neurological effects and behavioural changes
- Disturbance of blood circulation
- Heart damage
- Effects on eyes and eyesight
- Reproductive failure
- Damage to immune systems
- Stomach and gastrointestinal disorder
- Damage to liver and kidney functions
- Hearing defects
- Disturbance of the hormonal metabolism
- Dermatological effects
- Suffocation and lung embolism

23. So are YOU certain about your decision?

24. Thank you for attention)
Roman Fishchuk
froman@ukr.net
+38 050 433 2119