Climate Change and the Health of Canadians: Understanding Risks to

Protect Canadians

Institute for Science, Society and PolicyUniversity of Ottawa March 5, 2019

Peter Berry Ph.D.Climate Change and Innovation BureauSafe Environments DirectorateHealth Canada

Presentation Overview

• Climate change risks to health

• Understanding risks and vulnerabilities to support adaptation

• Current activities to protect Canadians

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CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS TO HEALTH

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Evidence of Climate Change - “Warming is unequivocal”Global Land and Ocean Temperature Anomalies, January - December(Annual anomalies relative to 20th century)

NOAA, 2017

2016 was the hottest year on record

Canada is Warming Faster

Projected Warming in Canada - Winter

https://i0.wp.com/prairieclimatecentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2051-2080-RCP85-Mean-Temp-Delta-January.jpg

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Awareness of climate change impactson health

• Seven in ten climate change believers (69%) were able to identify (without prompting) at least one way in which climate change potentially affects health.

• Awareness of any one specific effect is relatively low, with various mentions of air quality impacts (21%), fluctuation in the weather (14%), water quality impacts (11%) and infectious diseases (10%), among others.

• Three in ten either cannot think of any (11%) or maintain that there are none (20%).

Environics, 2017

Projected Risks from Lyme Disease to Canadians

Ogden et al., 20088

Potential Impacts on Air Quality

• Ground-level ozone

• Particulate matter

• Aeroallergens (eg., from trees, grasses, weeds, moulds, dustmites)

• Fungi and infectious bacteria

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs)

• Carbon monoxide (CO)

Berry et al., 2014

Extreme Heat in Canadian CommunitiesA 2009 extreme heat event in British Columbia contributed to over 100 excess deaths in the province’s lower mainland area. (Kosatsky, 2010)

An extreme heat event in 2010 in Quebec resulted in an estimated excess of 280 deaths (Bustinza et al., 2013)

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Fort McMurray fire increases PTSD,

depression, insomnia (2016)

93 heat–related deaths in Quebec

(2018)

Health Impacts of Climate Variability and Change

156 heat–related deaths in BC

(2009)

Whitehorse grocery stores impacted by

mudslides (2012)

1300% increase nationally in

Lyme disease cases (2009-

2017)

Ice storm overwhelms

some hospitals in Quebec (1998)

BC wildfires –affect 19 health facilities; 880

patients evacuated; 700 staff displaced

(2017)

Several health facilities closed

around Calgary due to flooding (2013)

UNDERSTANDING RISKS AND VULNERABILITIES TO

SUPPORT ADAPTATION

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Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessments

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http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/104200

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Climate Hazard Populations of Concern Potential Mental Health

OutcomesIndicators and Measurement

Tools

Extreme Weather Event(flood, hurricane, drought, mudslides, etc.)

• Gender (Female)• Sex (Female, particularly

pregnant women)• Age (children, infants,

older adults)• Race and ethnicity (non-

Caucasian, non-white)• Immigrants • People with pre-existing

health conditions• People with low-

socioeconomic status• The under and non-

insured (health care and home insurance)

• The under-housed and homeless

• Outdoor laborers• First responders• Indigenous Peoples

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Depression (including major depressive disorders)

• Anxiety• Suicidal ideation• Aggression• Substance abuse

and addiction• Violence• Survivor guilt• Vicarious trauma• Altruism• Compassion• Post-traumatic

growth• Other

• SurveysSelf-report surveys of

general health. Self-report surveys of mental

illness and mental problems. Consider using any, or a combination of:

Self-report surveys of affirmative mental health. Consider using:

• Patient Records• Monitor emergency

department visits after extreme weather events for an increase in patients reporting mental health problems or illness.

• Review of new prescription use for mental health and behavioral disorders after an extreme weather event

• Interviews

Adapted from: Hayes K, Poland B. Addressing mental health in a changing climate: Incorporating mental health indicators into climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(9). doi:10.3390/ijerph15091806

Mental Health Impacts of Extreme Weather

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Factors that influence individual and community level vulnerability to extreme heat events

Health Canada, 2011

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/climate-change-health/adapting-extreme-heat-events-guidelines-assessing-health-vulnerability-health-canada-2011.html

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Science Needs to Support Effective Health Adaptation

Climate Change and Health

Vulnerability Assessments

Monitoring and Surveillance of Health Impacts

Projecting Future Health

Impacts

Building Healthy Climate Resilient

Communities

• Few studies • Uncertainty and downscaling• Capturing other trends

• Monitoring and surveillance

• Measuring challenges• Identifying indicators

• Few assessment studies • Methods – effectiveness of

adaptations • Time and resources

• Multi-sectoral collaboration

• Maximizing co-benefits• Research/policy

interface

CURRENT ACTIVITIES TO PROTECT CANADIANS

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"Tackling climate change could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century"

Lancet Commission on Climate and Health, 2015

Historic Gains in Protecting HealthOver the last 55 years, death rates in children under 5 years of age has decreased from 214 per 1000 live births to 59.

Over the same time, life expectancy has increased from 47 years to 69 years.

Improved disaster education, early warning systems, network of cyclone shelters

Adaptation Progress in Bangladesh

2007 Cyclone Sidr – 3,400 deaths

1991 cyclone – 140,000 deaths

Cyclone Bhola (1970) – 500,000 deathsIPCC, 2014

Federal Health Partners are taking action on climate change

• Heat and Health Risk Program • Extreme Heat & Health Risk Assessment (National Assessment 2021)

• Information and Action for Resilience • National Monitoring and Surveillance Program & Capacity Building in

the Health Sector based on US model (`BRACE`)

HC

• Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program for First Nations & Inuit Communities

• North and South of 60• Community-driven and culturally relevant adaptation planning & actions

ISC

• Infectious Disease and Climate Change Program • Vector-borne, Water-borne, Zoonotic• Research, surveillance, lab diagnostics, knowledge translation, health

professional education• Métis

PHAC

• Climate Change and Health Research Initiative • Focus on food security in the North and Lyme diseaseCIHR

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Health of Canadians in a

Changing Climate:

Advancing Our Knowledge for

Action 2021

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/environment/impacts-

adaptation/21189

Canadian Health Vulnerability Assessments

National• 1995 (Royal Society)

• 1998 (GOC)

• 2008 (Health Canada)

• 2014 (GOC)

• 2021 (planned)

Sub-National • Peel Region (2014)

• Surrey, BC (2014)

• Middlesex – London (2015)

• Simcoe Muskoka (2017)

• Northwestern Health Unit (ongoing)

• York (ongoing)

• Hamilton (ongoing)

• Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (ongoing)

Building the Knowledge Base – Student Contributions

• Food and Food Insecurity Chapter –CCHA 2021

• Water and Water Insecurity Chapter –CCHA 2021

• Mental Health Chapter – CCHA 2021

• Adapting Mental Health Programs in Canada to the Impacts of Climate Change

• Health co- ‘benefits’ and ‘risks’ in climate change mitigation technologies and policies: A review for Canada

THANK YOUPeter Berry Ph.D.

Climate Change and Innovation BureauSafe Environments DirectorateHealth CanadaPeter.Berry@canada.ca

Adjunct Assistant ProfessorFaculty of EnvironmentUniversity of Waterloopberry@uwaterloo.ca