Health and Care
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. Read more
(pdf, 146 kB) about the programme.More information can be found also on the website 
of the World Health Organization. - Health risk management in a changing climate: An operational research on dengue fever prevention in Vietnam. Download the leaflet here (pdf, 59 kB).
- Download the Health and care factsheet (pdf, 51 kB) (in English) to read more about climate change and health implications, and the publication Health and climate change by Lina Nerlander (2009). The fact sheet is also available in Russian (pdf, 158 kB).
Main topics:
- Disaster Management
- Health and Care
- Early warning early action
- Advocacy
- Communications
- Community risk reduction
- Youth
- Getting started
Disaster Management
Climate change can act as a catalyst for enhanced disaster management.
Health and Care
Many national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies will be touched by the health implications of climate change.
Early warning early action
Routinely taking humanitarian action before a disaster or health emergency happens, making full use of scientific information on all timescales.
Advocacy
The Red Cross and Red Crescent never works in isolation. Partnerships are more important than ever in the context of global warming.
Communications
The global climate is changing and the past no longer explains the present.
Community risk reduction
The Red Cross and Red Crescent has traditionally focused on response. But now other aspects, including risk reduction, are also given priority.
Youth
Red Cross Red Crescent youth take action to reduce the impacts of climate change.
Getting started
The Red Cross Red Crescent has a growing body of experience working on addressing climate change. Here’s how to use it to get started.
Take a look at Red Cross Red Crescent climate change activities on the worldmap
