Climate change is expected to result in warmer temperatures, longer and hotter summers, and more frequent and/or severe weather events such as hurricanes/tornadoes, thunderstorms, wildfires, floods and droughts. Climate change is likely to impact most areas of our lives, including our health. (Government of Canada, 2018).
WEC has experienced the impacts of climate change in recent years such as record levels of precipitation and severe storms, which have led to widespread flooding events. There have also been periods of extended heat and the annual blue-green algae bloom in our lakes.
These changes have also created ideal conditions for the survival of invasive mosquito species and a greater presence of insects that carry diseases not commonly found in our region. We are the first region in Canada to identify adult Aedes aegypti [1] mosquitoes, and have had evidence of the presence of Aedes albopictus [1] mosquitoes since 2016.
Both of these mosquitoes are vectors for viruses not normally seen in Canada, such as Zika [2], Dengue fever, and Chikungunya.
Climate change can impact our health in the following ways:
Source: cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm [12]
Everyone will feel the effects of climate change, but the health risks are higher for older adults, infants, young children, people with pre-existing heart conditions or respiratory illnesses, and those who are experiencing homelessness.
The WECHU has already started to address, manage and respond to the effects of a changing climate. On November 21, 2019 the Windsor-Essex County Board of Health passed a Local Response to Climate Change Resolution [13] to adopt and implement climate change initiatives and programs that support municipalities and local organizations, both public and private, to take climate action and raise the public’s awareness about the health impacts of climate change in order to drive individual behaviour change in support of climate change action.
The Health Unit has also begun the process of conducting a Climate Change and Health Vulnerability Assessment. The assessment will provide local evidence and understanding of the linkages between climate change and health within WEC, identify things we can do and where there are gaps in the system.
Data from this assessment will help to develop action plans for the various health impacts for our region.
Links
[1] https://www.wechu.org/z-health-topics/aedes-aegypti-mosquito
[2] https://www.wechu.org/z-health-topics/zika-virus
[3] https://www.wechu.org/your-environment/west-nile-virus
[4] https://www.wechu.org/your-environment/ticks-and-lyme-disease
[5] https://www.wechu.org/your-environment/heat-warnings-and-extended-heat-warnings
[6] https://www.wechu.org/z-health-topics/heat-illness
[7] https://www.wechu.org/your-environment/outdoor-air-quality
[8] https://www.wechu.org/sun-safety/uv-index
[9] https://www.wechu.org/your-environment/emergency-preparedness
[10] https://www.wechu.org/your-environment/drinking-water
[11] https://www.wechu.org/your-health/food-safety
[12] https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm
[13] https://www.wechu.org/board-health-meeting-agendas-and-minutes/november-2019-board-meeting-local-response-climate-change
[14] https://www.citywindsor.ca/residents/environment/climate-change-adaptation/Pages/default.aspx
[15] https://essexregionconservation.ca/watershed-health/climate-change/
[16] https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/environmental-public-health-climate-change/climate-change-public-health-factsheets.html
[17] https://www.cpha.ca/climate-change-and-human-health
[18] https://www.wechu.org/tags/air-quality
[19] https://www.wechu.org/tags/ticks
[20] https://www.wechu.org/tags/mosquito
[21] https://www.wechu.org/tags/climate-change
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1005 Ouellette Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N9A 4J8 - 519-258-2146