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Toolkits for building capacity at local public health departments around climate change and human health
Local public health departments (LHDs) are the “first line of defense” in our public health system. As such, it is critical that the public health community has both the expertise and the resources to identify and respond to the challenges presented by climate change.
This session will introduce two toolkits designed to help LHDs build capacity around climate change and health. Public Health and Climate Change: A Guide for Increasing the Capacity of Local Public Health Departments provides a much-needed framework for initiating and integrating climate planning within public health agencies. It focuses on process, for example: 1) How to build a case within a local health department for responding to the health effects of climate change. 2) How to integrate climate planning throughout existing programs. 3) How to initiate or strengthen collaborations for greater efficiency and effectiveness. 4) How to incorporate climate messaging into community outreach and regulatory activities.
The second toolkit, Developing Climate Change Environmental Public Health Indicators: Guidance for Local Health Departments, outlines a three-tiered approach to establishing a local climate change environmental public health tracking program — placing emphasis on opportunities to partner with external resources at the local, state, and federal levels. It also explains how climate and health tracking programs can support LHDs’ efforts to provide the 10 Essential Services of Public Health and to achieve accreditation.
At the end of the session, attendees will be able to help their LHDs launch a climate and health program with a robust tracking component.
Learning Areas:
Environmental health sciencesEpidemiology
Other professions or practice related to public health
Program planning
Learning Objectives:
Explain why it is critical that local public health departments have both the expertise and the resources to identify and respond to the challenges presented by climate change.
Evaluate possible internal and external collaborations to share data and responsibilities in an integrated climate and health program.
Describe the process required to launch a local climate and health program with a robust tracking component.
Keyword(s): Climate and Health, Local Public Health Agencies
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am co-author on the manuscript and report which the presentation is based and contributed substantially to the work
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.