Throughout human history climate and health have been inextricably linked. The latest (2007) report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that ‘climate change currently contributes to the global burden of disease and premature deaths’. And it will continue to do so: increased malnutrition and consequent disorders, with implications for child growth and development, can be expected. There will be more deaths, disease and injury from heatwaves, floods, storms, fires and droughts and a change in the distribution of infectious disease vectors such as mosquitoes.

The humanitarian mission of the Red Cross Red Crescent is to improve the lives of the vulnerable people, and their health plays a central role. National Societies around the world are already grappling with new health emergencies which are likely to be linked in some part to climate change. Therefore proactive adaptation strategies, policies and measures need to be taken to relieve the disease burden of the most vulnerable groups.

In late 2009 the Climate Centre secured funding from the Rockefeller Foundation for the proposal ‘Health risk management in a changing climate’. The project will run over 2.5 years, starting in early 2010. Different project components aim to further the understanding on how to deal with two of the main challenges to health posed by climate change by focusing on extreme events in East Africa and gradual changes in vector-borne diseases in Southeast Asia.

In East Africa, the focus is on using climate information to address  the health effects of extreme precipitation and flooding at community level in Kenya and Tanzania to help prepare for changing risks due to climate change. The Red Cross national societies will  first identify how climate information on different time-scales can help operational decision making, and will then work with meteorology services to identify the best climate information products. The project will also seek to identify how best to inform local communities on climate change, climate variability and associated health risks. 

In Southeast Asia the project will help the Red Cross to address changing patterns of vector borne disease, focusing on dengue fever  in Vietnam and Indonesia. The project will ensure the Red Cross’ existing auxiliary relationship with health ministries takes account of climate-sensitive diseases. This will involve enhancing the Red Cross’ ability to monitor surveillance information and to stay aware if patterns of dengue change – whether due to climate change or other factors – and plan response accordingly. The project will also include community-based dengue prevention in collaboration with local health authorities, and identify how best to inform communities on prevention of dengue and the links between climate and dengue in the context of other factors such as urbanisation.

Partnerships are key to the project. The Climate Centre will build on the existing relationship with IRI but also build relationships with academic and other knowledge centers as well as with other partners of the Rockefeller Foundation. 

The two project components feed the global learning component which runs throughout the project, extracting lessons learned at every stage. This enables the benefits to reach far beyond the project implementation sites, enhancing health work in the rest of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.