14.2: The Impact of the Environment on Public Health
The Center for Disease Control developed a program called the Environmental Public Health Tracking Program. This program collects data from both diseases and the environment to better understand the role the environment plays in the health of our population.
YouTube Video: Better Information for Better Health: CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Ad79HGeJE )
Climate Change and Health
Climate change can impact health in many ways. Extreme weather events, such as extreme heat, hurricanes, flooding, droughts, pollution, and increased in sea level can all potentially create harmful environments.
Table: Health Impacts from Climate Change from CDC
| Weather Event | Health Effects | Populations Most Affected |
| Heat waves | Heat stress | Extremes of age, athletes, people with respiratory disease |
| Extreme weather events,(rain, hurricane, tornado, flooding) | Injuries, drowning | Coastal, low-lying land dwellers, low SES |
| Droughts, floods, increased mean temperature | Vector – food – and water-borne diseases | Multiple populations at risk |
| Sea-level rise | Injuries, drowning, water and soil salinization, ecosystem and economic disruption | Coastal, low SES |
| Drought, ecosystem migration | Food and water shortages, malnutrition | Low SES, elderly, children |
| Extreme weather events, drought | Mass population movement, international conflict | General population |
| Increases in ground-level ozone, airborne allergens, and other pollutants | Respiratory disease exacerbations (COPD, asthma, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis) | Elderly, children, those with respiratory disease |
| Climate change generally; extreme events | Mental health | Young, displaced, agricultural sector, low SES |
Contributors and Attributions
Creative Commons:
- Image of recycle symbol around planet.. Authored by: Scott Maxwell, Lumaxart. Provided by: Lumaxart. Located at: http://www.lumaxart.com/ License: CC BY: Attribution
Public Domain Content
- National Center for Environmental Health. Authored by: National Center for Environmental Health. Provided by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Located at: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ . License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- National Environmental Public Health Tracking. Authored by: National Center for Environmental Health. Provided by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Located at: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking/ License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright
- Table: Health Impacts from Climate Change from CDC. Authored by: National Center for Environmental Health. Provided by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Located at: https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/policy.htm License: Public Domain: No Known Copyright