Archive of Spotlight Feature Articles

Using Climate and Environmental Information for Public Health Planning and Preparedness:
The Climate Variability and Health Program

by Juli Trtanj

The Climate Variability and Health Program (CVH) takes a problem-oriented approach to the use of climate and environmental information for social benefit. The goal of the program is to provide scientifically sound, socially relevant, and technically useable climate and environmental information for the public health community. Using appropriate earth science information and predictive tools, we seek to provide early warning of potential climate-sensitive health risks and allow for advanced public health planning and preparedness. Working closely with its institutional and academic partners, the CVH program identifies and addresses gaps in knowledge and institutional structures, fosters greater coordination between agency and private sector partners, and supports the development of an integrated climate and health community.

The CVH program is comprised of four main components: Research, Application, Capacity Building and Training, and Community Building. Driven by the need to develop a solid scientific understanding of the influence of climate and environmental factors on public health, the Program supports and manages peer-reviewed research through the Joint Announcement on Climate Variability and Human Health. This research grant announcement is a cooperative effort between NOAA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EPRI (formerly known as the Electric Power Research Institute) with contributions from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). For a list of funded projects, see http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/mpe/csi/appdev/health/projects.htm.

In addition, the CVH Program works closely with the other OGP Programs to ensure research questions are derived from, and results feed back to, both the scientific community and decision-makers attempting to use climate information operationally. In collaboration with other agencies, academia, international institutions, and regional partners, the CVH program supports training and other activities that build capacity to use climate information for public health purposes. The program also focuses on building a robust climate and health community, helping to bring together various disciplines and institutions to foster an iterative definition of the problem and collective development of approaches and solutions. For a summary of both research and capacity building activities, see http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/mpe/csi/activities/index.htm.

NOAA Office of Global Programs Climate and Societal Interactions Activities Map, 1997-Present. Interactive map

As part of building an integrated community, it is important to provide structured opportunities for interaction among researchers and practitioners from different disciplines and institutions involved in the climate and health question. A recent example is the Conference and Workshop on Climate Variability and Change and their Health Effects in the Caribbean: Information for Climate Variability and Change Adaptation Planning in the Health Sector, in Barbados on May 21-25, 2002. NOAA, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), The Government of Barbados, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Health Canada, and Environment Canada sponsored this two day regional conference and follow-on training workshop. The primary objectives were to inform health scientists, practitioners, and officials on the state of knowledge regarding the health impacts of climate variability and change, to integrate health-relevant sectors (such as water, sanitation, coastal zone management), and to support the incorporation of global, regional and national climate information into public health planning.

Keynote speakers were His Excellency Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations, and Professor Tony McMichael, Director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University. In addition, two Ministers from Barbados opened the conference, lending their full support, and PAHO highlighted this activity as part of their 100 year Anniversary Celebration. There were approximately 120 participants from most of the Caribbean countries presenting over twenty-five papers and engaging in active panel discussions on topics of both science and policy.

(left) His Excellency Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations. Photo courtesy of http://www.un.org/icc/speeches/618sam.htm (right) Professor Tony McMichael, Director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University. Photo courtesy of http://nceph.anu.edu.au/Staff/staff_pages/mcmichael.htm

Following the conference, the intensive three-day workshop, with approximately 50 participants, focused on scientific and technical issues as well as operational and implementation strategies through a series of working group exercises and synthesis sessions. Specific recommendations included incorporating climate on the public health ministers' agenda, developing cross-sector integrated planning and adaptation strategies at a national or sub-national level, and developing methods to support a more rigorous scientific understanding of the health impacts of climate variability and change and the suite of response and adaptation options. A forthcoming Conference Proceedings will include more information on specific recommendations and outcomes.

	Conference participant, Dale Rankine from the Meteorological Service, Jamaica, commenting on a workshop poster.
	Workshop Participants discuss issues of climate and health (about 50 people). .
	Participants discuss issues of climate and health during working group session. All photos courtesy of Dale Rankine

For more information about the Climate Variability and Health Program visit http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/mpe/csi/appdev/health/index.htm.

To see streaming video from the most recent conference, visit http://www.ogp.noaa.gov/aboutogp/stream/index.html#june.

[7/1/02]

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