Core Functions

To translate climate change science to inform states, local health departments and communities.

Priority Actions

1. Enhance the science base to better understand the relationship between climate change and health outcomes
2. Identify locations and population groups at greatest risk for specific health threats, such as heat waves
3. Provide technical advice and support to state and local health departments, the private sector, and others in implementing national and global preparedness measures related to the health effects of climate change

Projects /Activities

• Work with the state and local agencies to translate climate science into health policy for action both regionally and locally
• Expanding the climate change research foundation
• NASA/ROSES project; using NASA data and models to improve heat watch warming systems
• Local climate change and health indicator project; Travis County, Texas
• Vulnerability assessments for climate-related environmental hazards

To create decision support tools to build capacity to prepare for climate change.

Priority Actions

1. Track data on environmental conditions, disease risks, and disease occurrence related to climate change
2. Communicate the health-related aspects of climate change, including risks and ways to reduce them, to the public, decision makers, and healthcare providers
3. Develop and implement preparedness and response plans for health threats such as heat waves, severe weather events, and infectious diseases
4. Expand capacity for modeling and forecasting health effects that may be climate-related
5. Promote workforce development by helping to ensure the training of a new generation of competent, experienced public health staff to respond to the health threats posed by climate change

Projects /Activities

• Funding Opportunity Award (FOA) for state and local health departments (assessment, planning, adaptations and capacity building)
• Funding of a Climate Module within the Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT)
• Creation of the Adaptation Guidebook for State and Local Health Departments
• Code Red Heat Alert Training
• Extreme Heat Media Toolkit
• EPHLI Project (air Quality respiratory Disease)
• NCAR /CDC Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Research scholarships
• APHA Dissertation Awards
• Webinar Series: “Climate Change: Mastering the Public Health Role”

To serve as a credible leader in planning for the public health impacts of climate change.

Priority Actions

1. Provide leadership to state and local governments, community leaders, healthcare professionals, nongovernmental organizations, the faith-based communities, the private sector and the public, domestically and internationally, regarding health protection from climate change effects
2. Serve as a credible source of information on the health consequences of climate change for the U.S. population and globally
3. Develop partnerships with other government agencies, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, universities, and international organizations to more effectively address U.S. and global health aspects of climate change

Projects /Activities

• Participation on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to develop IPCC special report on extreme events and extreme impacts related to climate change
• Participation on Inter-Agency Workgroups of the US Global Change Research Program
• Health impacts anticipated from climate changes incorporated into the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, released in 2007