Climate Effects on Health

The information on health effects has been excerpted from the Third National Climate Assessment’s Health Chapter. Additional information regarding the health effects of climate change and references to supporting literature can be found in the Health Chapter at http://www.globalchange.gov/engage/activities-products/NCA3/technical-inputs.

Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health stressors, influences human health and disease in numerous ways. Some existing health threats will intensify and new health threats will emerge. Not everyone is equally at risk. Important considerations include age, economic resources, and location.

In the U.S., public health can be affected by disruptions of physical, biological, and ecological systems, including disturbances originating here and elsewhere. The health effects of these disruptions include increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease, injuries and premature deaths related to extreme weather events, changes in the prevalence and geographical distribution of food- and water-borne illnesses and other infectious diseases, and threats to mental health.

New! CDC and APHA Fact Sheets

• Extreme Rainfall and Drought Can Impact our Health [PDF - 98 KB]
• Warmer Water and Flooding Increase the Risk of Illness or Injury [PDF - 184 KB]
• Climate Change Decreases the Quality of the Air We Breathe [PDF 111 KB]
• Extreme Heat Can Impact Our Health in Many Ways [PDF - 108 KB]
• Climate Change Increases the Risk of Vector-Borne Diseases [PDF - 112 KB]