During two recent NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) webinars, researchers discussed how climate change can potentially increase exposures to health hazards, as well as what they are doing to tackle this complex challenge.
The webinars were part of SRP’s three-part Climate Change and Health webinar series. The first session, held in October, highlighted strategies to reduce hazardous exposures in the face of climate change.
“Through the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative, we are promoting research that develops interventions to help people adapt to the effects of climate change,” said Collman. “That includes early warning systems, community engagement, and strategies to increase education and awareness about climate change.” (Photo courtesy of Gwen Collman)
Climate Change and Health Initiative
“Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, extreme heat, wildfires, storms, and floods, are increasing in number every year, becoming more extreme, lasting longer, and having bigger impacts on communities in the U.S. and around the world,” said Gwen Collman, Ph.D., the director of the Office of Scientific Coordination, Planning, and Evaluation at NIEHS.
Collman described some of the impacts of climate change on human health, including heat-related illness, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, mental and neurological disorders, vector- and water-borne diseases, and injuries and death.
“Climate change affects people in every single corner of the world, but those effects are not distributed equally,” Collman explained. “We are focusing part of our work on understanding how to protect underserved populations, such as people of color, low-income populat …