Health in climate change research from 1990 to 2014: positive trend, but still underperforming

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Abstract

Background

Climate change has been recognized as both one of the biggest threats and the biggest opportunities for global health in the 21st century. This trend review seeks to assess and characterize the amount and type of scientific literature on the link between climate change and human health.

Design

We tracked the use of climate-related terms and their co-occurrence with health terms during the 25 years since the first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, from 1990 to 2014, in two scientific databases and in the IPCC reports. We investigated the trends in the number of publications about health and climate change through time, by nature of the health impact under study, and by geographic area. We compared the scientific production in the health field with that of other sectors on which climate change has an impact.

Results

The number of publications was extremely low in both databases from 1990 (325 and 1,004, respectively) until around 2006 (1,332 and 4,319, respectively), which has since then increased exponentially in recent years (6,079 and 17,395, respectively, in 2014). However, the number of climate change papers regarding health is still about half that of other sectors. Certain health impacts, particularly malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), remain substantially understudied. Approximately two-thirds of all published studies were carried out in OECD countries (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), predominantly in Europe and North America.

Conclusions

There is a clear need for further research on the links between climate change and health. This pertains particularly to research in and by those countries in which health will be mostly affected and capacity to adapt is least. Specific undertreated topics such as NCDs, malnutrition, and mental health should gain the priority they deserve. Funding agencies are invited to take note of and establish calls for proposals accordingly. Raising the interest in this research area in young scientists remains a challenge and should lead to innovative courses for large audiences, such as Massive Open Online Courses.

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Most cited references 17

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Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: overview and implications for policy makers.

Cathryn Tonne, Robert Pedersen, Paul Wilkinson … (2009)

This Series has examined the health implications of policies aimed at tackling climate change. Assessments of mitigation strategies in four domains-household energy, transport, food and agriculture, and electricity generation-suggest an important message: that actions to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions often, although not always, entail net benefits for health. In some cases, the potential benefits seem to be substantial. This evidence provides an additional and immediate rationale for reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions beyond that of climate change mitigation alone. Climate change is an increasing and evolving threat to the health of populations worldwide. At the same time, major public health burdens remain in many regions. Climate change therefore adds further urgency to the task of addressing international health priorities, such as the UN Millennium Development Goals. Recognition that mitigation strategies can have substantial benefits for both health and climate protection offers the possibility of policy choices that are potentially both more cost effective and socially attractive than are those that address these priorities independently. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Climate change: challenges and opportunities for global health.

Jonathan A. Patz, Howard Frumkin, Daniel J Vimont … (2014)

Health is inextricably linked to climate change. It is important for clinicians to understand this relationship in order to discuss associated health risks with their patients and to inform public policy. To provide new US-based temperature projections from downscaled climate modeling and to review recent studies on health risks related to climate change and the cobenefits of efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar from 2009 to 2014 for articles related to climate change and health, focused on governmental reports, predictive models, and empirical epidemiological studies. Of the more than 250 abstracts reviewed, 56 articles were selected. In addition, we analyzed climate data averaged over 13 climate models and based future projections on downscaled probability distributions of the daily maximum temperature for 2046-2065. We also compared maximum daily 8-hour average ozone with air temperature data taken from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climate Data Center. By 2050, many US cities may experience more frequent extreme heat days. For example, New York and Milwaukee may have 3 times their current average number of days hotter than 32°C (90°F). High temperatures are also strongly associated with ozone exceedance days, for example, in Chicago, Illinois. The adverse health aspects related to climate change may include heat-related disorders, such as heat stress and economic consequences of reduced work capacity; respiratory disorders, including those exacerbated by air pollution and aeroallergens, such as asthma; infectious diseases, including vectorborne diseases and waterborne diseases, such as childhood gastrointestinal diseases; food insecurity, including reduced crop yields and an increase in plant diseases; and mental health disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, that are associated with natural disasters. Substantial health and economic cobenefits could be associated with reductions in fossil fuel combustion. For example, greenhouse gas emission policies may yield net economic benefit, with health benefits from air quality improvements potentially offsetting the cost of US and international carbon policies. Evidence over the past 20 years indicates that climate change can be associated with adverse health outcomes. Health care professionals have an important role in understanding and communicating the related potential health concerns and the cobenefits from policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Is Open Access

Projecting Future Heat-Related Mortality under Climate Change Scenarios: A Systematic Review

Cunrui Huang, Adrian Gerard Barnett, Xiaoming Wang … (2011)

Background: Heat-related mortality is a matter of great public health concern, especially in the light of climate change. Although many studies have found associations between high temperatures and mortality, more research is needed to project the future impacts of climate change on heat-related mortality. Objectives: We conducted a systematic review of research and methods for projecting future heat-related mortality under climate change scenarios. Data sources and extraction: A literature search was conducted in August 2010, using the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, and Web of Science. The search was limited to peer-reviewed journal articles published in English from January 1980 through July 2010. Data synthesis: Fourteen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Most projections showed that climate change would result in a substantial increase in heat-related mortality. Projecting heat-related mortality requires understanding historical temperature–mortality relationships and considering the future changes in climate, population, and acclimatization. Further research is needed to provide a stronger theoretical framework for projections, including a better understanding of socioeconomic development, adaptation strategies, land-use patterns, air pollution, and mortality displacement. Conclusions: Scenario-based projection research will meaningfully contribute to assessing and managing the potential impacts of climate change on heat-related mortality.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Glob Health Action

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Glob Health Action

Journal ID (publisher-id): GHA

Title: Global Health Action

Publisher: Co-Action Publishing

ISSN (Print): 1654-9716

ISSN (Electronic): 1654-9880

Publication date (Electronic): 21 June 2016

Publication date Collection: 2016

Volume: 9

Electronic Location Identifier: 10.3402/gha.v9.30723

Affiliations

[1 ]Centre Virchow-Villermé for Public Health Paris-Berlin, Université Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France

[2 ]French School of Public Health, Paris-Rennes, France

[3 ]INDEPTH Network, Accra, Ghana

[4 ]School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

[5 ]Institute of Public Health, INF 324, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

Author notes

[* ]Correspondence to: Rainer Sauerborn, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Email: r.sauerborn@ 123456uni-heidelberg.de

Responsible Editor: Peter Byass, Umeå University, Sweden.

Article

Publisher ID: 30723

DOI: 10.3402/gha.v9.30723

PMC ID: 4917601

PubMed ID: 27339855

SO-VID: 2e28470a-431f-41f0-af05-addea61ee67e

License:

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.

History

Date received : 15 December 2015

Date revision received : 02 May 2016

Date accepted : 18 May 2016

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Health in climate change research from 1990 to 2014: positive trend, but still underperforming

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Abstract

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Climate Change: Open Access

Most cited references 17

Public health benefits of strategies to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions: overview and implications for policy makers.

Climate change: challenges and opportunities for global health.

Projecting Future Heat-Related Mortality under Climate Change Scenarios: A Systematic Review

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