Climate change and health equity

By Melba Newsome

Climate change is one of the biggest public health threats today, particularly when it comes to health inequities or preventable differences in health outcomes caused by systemic, avoidable, and unjust social and economic policies and systems.

While climate change is a global phenomenon, the consequences impact places, people and communities at the local level. Low-wealth communities and communities of color across the country suffer a substantially higher burden. Climate change exacerbates these health risks and inequalities for some people and communities.

Health inequities arise largely as a result of social determinants such as economics, the distribution of money, power, social policies and politics at every level. In turn, these determinants mold our health behaviors and health outcomes.

It’s hard to overstate the interconnections between climate change and health equity.The root causes and upstream drivers for both are often the same. Energy, transportation, land use, building, food, agriculture and socioeconomic systems are key contributors to climate change and the social drivers of health.

Health care reporters must be aware of these intersections and prepared to cover the design of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, and efforts to build healthy, equitable, climate resilient communities.

Reporting on climate change as a health equity issue got a big boost with the creation of the DHHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE), the first federal program aimed specifically at understanding how planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels affect human health.

When reporting on climate change, it is vital to explore who is susceptible and pay close attention to our most vulnerable populations to better promote health in a changing climate. It’s critical to provide this health equity aspect to climate change coverage.

Story ideas

• Why climate change matters for maternal, child, adolescent and family health.

• What local health departments can and/or are doing to integrate climate change issues into existing health policies and health equity work.

• How climate change impacts chronic disease and injury.

• Climate change, asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

• Understanding the climate impacts on controlling infectious and communicable diseases.

Research and studies

• Inflection points: The intersection of COVID-19, climate change, and systemic racism

• The intersection of pediatrics, climate change, and structural racism: Ensuring health equity through climate justice

• The (in)visible health risks of climate change

Experts and organizations

• Renee Salas, Yerby Fellow at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 

• Ari Bernstein, Interim Director, Climate Change & Health Initiative 

• Sacoby Wilson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Applied Environmental Health (MIAEH) 

• University of Maryland School of Public Health.  

• Natasha DeJarnett, Ph.D., M.P.H., Policy Analyst, Environmental Health, American Public Health Association 

• Harvard Global Health Institute 

• The Kresge Foundation 

• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Health and Climate Solutions

Resources

• The Lancet Countdown: A range of resources and materials including briefs for policymakers, translations of the executive summaries of our annual reports, infographics, podcasts and videos.

• The Population Health Initiative – University of Washington  

• APHA Webinar: Climate Changes Health Equity

• Health Equity and Climate Change 

• Health Impacts of Climate Change 

• The Health Benefits of Climate Action
  

Relevant terms, definitions and core principles 

• Climate vulnerability
  The potential adverse effects of climate change on ecosystems, infrastructure, economic sectors, social groups, communities and regions, along less-systemic lines like individual health. Assessing the risk of climate change is generally broken down by socioeconomic and geographic factors, neither of which are mutually exclusive. There are several organizations and tools used by the international community and scientists to assess climate vulnerability. 

• Climate-resilience
  The ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to hazardous events, trends, or disturbances related to climate. Assessing and addressing the possible impact of climate-related risks like heavy downpours, hurricanes, or wildfires that will become more frequent or intense as the climate changes.