Public Health Approach To Climate Change Proposed

Main Category: Water - Air Quality / Agriculture
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 12 Feb 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Using the "Essential Services of Public Health" as a conceptual framework, a public health response to climate change is formulated.

There is scientific consensus that the global climate is changing. These changes are expected to have substantial impacts on human health. There are known, effective public health responses to many of these impacts, but the scope, timeline and complexity of climate change are unprecedented and call for a proactive approach. The authors of the article propose a public health approach to climate change, based on the essential public health services, that extends to both clinical and population health services and emphasizes the coordination of government agencies, academia, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations.

"The conceptual framework for responding draws on longstanding public health thinking," the paper's authors said. "An effective public health response to climate change is essential to preventing injuries and illnesses, enhancing public health preparedness, and reducing risk." [From: Climate Change: The Public Health Response. Contact Howard Frumkin, MD, DrPH, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. Haf6@cdc.gov.]

The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly journal of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the oldest organization of public health professionals in the world. APHA is a leading publisher of books and periodicals promoting sound scientific standards, action programs and public policy to enhance health. More information is available at http://www.apha.org.

American Journal of Public Health