Originally aired January 26, 2012, Co-produced by APHA
Download the Public Health and Climate Change slide deck.
Combating the impacts of climate change requires tremendous public and private investments in alternative energy, greenhouse gas reduction, changes in agricultural practices, diets and modes of transportation. The session explores public health co-benefits of mitigation and adaptation to climate disruptions. The panel addresses the latest research and international policy review, development, and modification being undertaken to strengthen international health systems.
Dr. Jonathan Patz, President of International Association for Ecology and Health, past co-chair and lead author of national and international climate assessments, and author of more than 90 peer-reviewed papers and a textbook addressing the health effects of global environmental change, moderates an expert panel; including:
- Dr. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, who leads the climate change and health team within the Public Health and Environment department at the World Health Organisation (WHO). He has played key roles in the development of the first quantitative estimates of the overall health impacts of climate change, the development and implementation of the WHO programme on this issue, including a series of projects to pilot health adaptation to climate change in vulnerable countries.
- Dr. Andy Haines, who is Professor of Public Health and Primary Care with a joint appointment in the Department of Social and Environmental Health Research and the Department of Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research. He was previously the Director, and Dean, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for 10 years and previously held other such positions.
- Dr. Ann Lion, who is the project director for USAID’s flagship health systems strengthening project, Health Systems 20/20, led by Abt Associates. She brings more than 30 years of experience as a leader and manager of global, regional, and country-level health programs both internationally and domestically. Previously, she served as Technical Support Coordinator for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at the Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) and as the United States Government (USG) delegate to the Global Fund Board of Directors.
- Dr. Alistair Woodward, who is Head of the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His major research interests are in environmental health and tobacco control. Recent work includes an international assessment of the effects of smoke-free policies, a community trial of home insulation, a 13 country study of cell phones and brain tumours, analysis of the public health benefits of greenhouse gas mitigation and follow-up of a cohort of 2600 cyclists.
