Oral

This session will present research on the consequences for human health of global change, including climate, climate variability, land-use, economic development, and technology. A previous health impacts assessment under the United States Climate Change Science Program investigated the key determinants in the climate-health interaction, developed a research agenda, and identified appropriate current and future adaptation strategies. It focused on the potential impacts of climate variability and change on five health outcomes known to be associated with weather or ecological change: temperature-related morbidity and mortality; injuries or illnesses from extreme weather events; air pollution-related health effects; water-and food-borne diseases; and vector-and rodent-borne diseases. The speakers, some of whom participated in the first Health Sector Assessment, will describe research supported by U.S. EPA’s Science to Achieve Results grant program designed to build upon the research and assessments of the previous health impacts assessment. For the most part, the studies are focusing on the characterization of illness and mortality associated with temperature extremes and how this relates to extreme weather events and variability, a predicted outcome of global climate change. Another key component is research and the development of prediction models and decision tools to transfer the findings on health impacts to public health decision makers. The project designs will be presented along with data analyses and interpretation. The interdisciplinary research teams all have partnered with a key stakeholder or end-user of the research results including, nonprofit organizations, citizens groups, and public health authorities and these collaborations also will be described.

Session Objectives: 1. Understand the goals of the U.S. Global Change Research Program and EPA's role in their accomplishment. 2. Understand research strategies to assess and predict the impacts on human health of global climate change. 3. Learn about specific academic/government/citizen partnerships to apply and use the results of the research to predict, prevent, and mitigate the adverse consequences to human health of global climate change.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing