Surveillance Webinar: Climate Change and Health-Surveillance Webinar: Climate Change and Health Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar, part of a residency curriculum series on surveillance systems and environmental health, focused on climate change and its impacts on human health. Dr. Polly Thomas, program director in internal medicine preventive medicine, presented evidence of rapid climate change, emphasizing rising global temperatures, increasing heatwaves, sea surface temperature rise, glacier retreat, heavier downpours, and shifting ecological boundaries in the US. She highlighted the main human causes: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion and loss of carbon sinks like forests.<br /><br />Dr. Thomas outlined direct and indirect health effects of climate change, focusing on three key threats: extreme heat, air pollution, and vector-borne diseases. Heat exposure leads to illnesses ranging from heat cramps to fatal heatstroke, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly, outdoor workers, and those with chronic illness. Air pollution intensifies with higher temperatures and wildfires, exacerbating respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Vector ecology changes extend the geographic range of mosquitoes and ticks that transmit diseases like Lyme, West Nile Virus, and dengue.<br /><br />The role of public health physicians includes both adaptation—such as clinical care for heat-related illnesses, surveillance, emergency preparedness, and climate-resilient health systems—and mitigation—personal actions to reduce fossil fuel use, healthcare facility sustainability efforts, and advocacy for clean energy policies. Dr. Thomas stressed collaboration with NGOs, policy advocacy, and fostering communication on climate and health as critical strategies. She encouraged joining ACPM’s Climate and Health Special Interest Group to engage with ongoing education and initiatives. The webinar concluded with a Q&A discussing challenges, local actions, and resources for integrating climate considerations into clinical practice.

Keywords

climate change

human health impacts

heatwaves

air pollution

vector-borne diseases

greenhouse gas emissions

public health adaptation

climate mitigation

healthcare sustainability

policy advocacy