Dispatches from the front: What state and territorial health agencies are doing to fight the public health consequences of climate change

The broad nature of the public health consequences of climate change demands we understand both the extent of the problem and the current public health capacity to respond to this challenge. While state and territorial health agencies are on the front lines of plans to confront the public health consequences of climate change, little is known about the broad type and scope of these efforts. Using data from a 2009 survey of all 57 state and territorial health agencies as a guide, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) assembled a multi-disciplinary team of experts charged with the task of helping to build the capacity of state and territorial health agencies to address climate change. Comprising over 20 professionals from more than 19 different organizations, this Climate Change Collaborative (CCC) is working to identify, evaluate, and suggest ways of plugging the knowledge gaps present at state and territorial health agencies throughout the United States. In this session, we explore the findings of the CCC and suggest a future course of action to help state and territorial health agencies to better prepare for the complex public health threats associated with climate change.