Three major health crises demand policy attention: raw milk product recalls expose food safety gaps, extreme heat waves threaten vulnerable… #Climatehealth #Extremeheathealth #Foodsafetyregulation #Opioidsettlementfunds #Rawmilksafety

Heatwaves are more than uncomfortable—they trigger two life-threatening medical emergencies: heatstroke and dehydration. An estimated 240,000 deaths occur annually fr… #Climatehealth #Dehydration #Heatstroke #Heatwave #Publichealth

Climate inaction continues to harm and kill people in all countries with a record 710,000 estimated deaths globally from heat in 2023, a UN-partnered report warned on Wednesday. For the first time, mo...

Kenya has become the first African country to join the Dengue Alliance, with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) becoming part of the global partnership dedicated to advancing dengue treatmen...

Climate change should formally be declared a global health emergency, experts have warned after they found that impacts on human health are outpacing the action countries are taking. Health harms from climate change have grown faster in the decade since countries signed the international Paris Agreement in 2015 compared to the decade before, according to the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. Annual average heat-related deaths rose by nearly 36 per cent globally after the Paris Agreement was introduced, its findings suggest. Impacts In 2023 alone, heat was linked to a record 710,000 deaths, with more than 70% of that toll attributable to human-caused climate change, the researchers found. More than 140 experts from more than 30 countries worked on the paper, led by University College London (UCL) and produced in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO). Published on Wednesday ahead of the start of UN climate summit Cop31 next month, the paper tracks 54 “indicators” that cover how health interacts with areas such as heat, air quality, climate suitability for infectious disease transmission, energy systems, adaptation, health research funding, legislative engagement, extreme weather events and climate-driven economic losses. According to the findings, extreme drought affected nearly 52...

Climate change should formally be declared a global health emergency, experts have warned after they found that impacts on human health are outpacing the action countries are taking. Health harms from climate change have grown faster in the decade since countries signed the international Paris Agreement in 2015 compared to the decade before, according to the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. Annual average heat-related deaths rose by nearly 36 per cent globally after the Paris Agreement was introduced, its findings suggest. Impacts In 2023 alone, heat was linked to a record 710,000 deaths, with more than 70% of that toll attributable to human-caused climate change, the researchers found. More than 140 experts from more than 30 countries worked on the paper, led by University College London (UCL) and produced in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO). Published on Wednesday ahead of the start of UN climate summit Cop31 next month, the paper tracks 54 “indicators” that cover how health interacts with areas such as heat, air quality, climate suitability for infectious disease transmission, energy systems, adaptation, health research funding, legislative engagement, extreme weather events and climate-driven economic losses. According to the findings, extreme drought affected nearly 52...

Background: Climate-related disasters increasingly affect community health, health care access, and disaster preparedness, particularly in disaster-prone Gulf Coast communities. Although climate dashboards have expanded access to environmental data, many function primarily as static repositories with limited integration of health data or operational decision support capabilities. Objective: This study aimed to identify stakeholder-informed design priorities and implementation considerations for a climate and health dashboard to support disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and community decision-making. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 7 multisector stakeholders representing academic research, community-based organizations, public health, emergency preparedness, and disaster recovery settings in Houston, Texas. Interviews explored current use of climate and health data, desired dashboard features, #usability considerations, data integration needs, and sustainability priorities. Transcripts were analyzed using the Rapid and Rigorous Qualitative Data Analysis (RADaR) technique. Results: Participants described a need for dashboards that could support decision-making rather than simply display data. Priorities included the integration of climate, health, infrastructure, and social vulnerability data; interactive mapping and layered visualizations; local geographic detail; AI-assisted interpretation and plain language summaries; and tools useful to both community and research audiences. Potential uses included emergency preparedness, targeted outreach during disasters, resource allocation, policy advocacy, and community education. Conclusions: Findings suggest that effective climate and health dashboards require not only technical functionality but also community-centered design, operational #usability, and sustainable implementation infrastructure. These findings are preliminary and may inform future studies aimed at developing dashboards designed to support community-focused disaster preparedness and response.

Hurricanes. Fires. Heat waves. They kill, they pack ERs, and they leave lingering legacies of toxic pollution, pulmonary complications, and post-traumatic stress – but they are just a glimpse of what’...

Alt: Cartoon Rainbow Jumping Animation