Climate & Health Explained

Chapter 3: Climate & Health Explained

Climate services can help health professionals and decision makers better understand the influence of climate and weather conditions on health; to anticipate when, where and who may be at greatest risk.

This knowledge enables them to detect, monitor, predict, minimize, and manage climate related health risks, resulting in more lives saved, more cases treated, reduced disease burdens, and cost savings made in service delivery, as well as increased resilience of health systems to climate shocks and stressors.

Tailoring climate information for use in the health sector requires strong partnerships and collaboration between the producers and users of climate information.

Demand from the health sector is already spurring innovation in climate and weather science across many areas. For example:

1 of

Extreme weather events are forecasted more precisely and farther in advance.

Satellite imagery and air quality monitoring data are being blended to predict where and when air quality may become a public health hazard.

Environmental conditions that can compromise water quality or provide the ideal setting for disease vector breeding are now identifiable.

Advances in data visualization and processing can help explain complex health risk dynamics better than ever; and thanks to improving interoperable data management systems, this information is increasingly accessible to health analysts.

Social and behavioural sciences often play a critical role in identifying how communities and individuals perceive environmental risks, understand change and use information to make decisions about protecting their health.

Climate Information Services for Health

Many countries and meteorological bodies are already providing climate services for health that address a range of hazards.

In 2020, national meteorological and hydrological services of 86 countries reported providing climate information to the health sector; only five of the 86 indicated that these climate services guide health sector policy and investment plans.

Data: Country Profile database, 2021. WMO

Graphic: 2021 Report of the Lancet Countdown

Up next: Take action

Continue Reading