Climate Change and Health

The following reports and publications aim to increase awareness and educate Canadians about climate change issues that affect their health.

On this Page

• Extreme Heat and Human Health
  • Communicating the Health Risks of Extreme Heat Events: Toolkit for Public Health and Emergency Management Officials
  • Heat-Health Brochures
  • Extreme Heat Events Guidelines: Technical Guide for Health Care Workers
  • Extreme Heat Events Guidelines: User Guide for Health Care Workers and Health Administrators
  • Fact Sheets for Health Care Workers
  • Adapting to Extreme Heat Events
  • Heat Alert and Response Systems to Protect Health: Best Practices Guidebook
  • Extreme Heat and Health in Canada (CD)
• Adaptation Bulletins
• Newsletters: Your Health and a Changing Climate
• Other Publications
• Workshop and Conference Reports

Extreme Heat and Human Health

Communicating the Health Risks of Extreme Heat Events: Toolkit for Public Health and Emergency Management Officials

Extreme heat is a significant health risk to Canadians - one that is expected to increase as the climate continues to change. To help public health and emergency management officials prepare Canadians for extreme heat and reduce health impacts, Health Canada has developed Communicating the Health Risks of Extreme Heat Events: Toolkit for Public Health and Emergency Management Officials. The Toolkit is intended for use by officials who are developing or updating heat-health communication campaigns. This document provides guidance on delivering a successful heat-health communication campaign and scientifically sound messages that can be tailored to address the needs of a target audience. Included in the Toolkit are a heat advisory media release template and three heat-health fact sheets tailored to suit the needs of older adults, physically active people and parents with young children.

Heat-Health Brochures

Extreme heat is a health risk. This risk will likely increase as our climate continues to change. To help the public prepare for extreme heat and reduce health impacts, Health Canada has developed three brochures. The brochures use consistent and scientifically informed heat-health messages, tailored to the needs of specific audiences.

• (2011) It's way too hot! Protect Yourself from Extreme Heat
• (2011) Keep children cool! Protect Your Child from Extreme Heat
• (2011) You're active in the heat. You're at risk! Protect Yourself from Extreme Heat

The brochures are intended for two audiences:

• Officials who are developing or updating heat-health communication campaigns
• Individuals interested in health risks and actions to take to stay healthy during extreme heat.

Extreme Heat Events Guidelines: Technical Guide for Health Care Workers

This document is an evidence-based technical guide for health care workers that provides information on recognizing, treating and preventing extreme heat-related illnesses. The Technical Guide will include: health promotion and injury prevention for vulnerable individuals; risk assessment of individuals for health practitioners; identification of heat illness signs and symptoms; and clinical recommendations to reduce health risks.

Extreme Heat Events Guidelines: User Guide for Health Care Workers and Health Administrators

Extreme Heat Events Guidelines: User Guide for Health Care Workers and Health Administrators is a summary document containing key figures and content from the "Extreme Heat Events Guidelines: Technical Guide for Health Care Workers" and provides policy guidance to health care organisations and institutions.

Fact Sheets for Health Care Workers

Fact Sheets for Health Care Workers -- provides health care workers with information to enhance their understanding of vulnerability to extreme heat, and their ability to identify effective preventions and mitigation measures. These targeted fact sheets have been developed for three distinct audiences:

• Acute Care During Extreme Heat: Recommendations and Information for Health Care Workers
• Community Care During Extreme Heat: Heat Illness: Prevention and Preliminary Care
• Health Facilities Preparation for Extreme Heat: Recommendations for Retirement and Care Facility Managers

Adapting to Extreme Heat Events: Guidelines for Assessing Health Vulnerability

A number of studies have documented the growing risks to the health of Canadians from more frequent and severe extreme heat events. A major component of public health efforts to protect people from extreme heat events centres on assessments of individual and community level vulnerability. Adapting to Extreme Heat Events: Guidelines for Assessing Health Vulnerability provides an overview of the vulnerability assessment methodology that has been developed by Health Canada, with support from a range of partners active in efforts to prepare people for climate change. The document provides information on the stakeholders and assessment steps relevant to the investigation of heat-health vulnerabilities in Canadian communities along with examples of method application and information on key challenges and limitations.

Heat Alert and Response Systems to Protect Health: Best Practices Guidebook

Extreme heat poses growing risks to the health of Canadians. To assist public health and emergency management officials prepare Canadians for extreme heat and reduce health impacts, Health Canada has developed Heat Alert and Response Systems to Protect Health: Best Practices Guidebook. The Guidebook is intended for use by officials who are developing or updating heat alert and response system in their communities and provides guidance on developing a successful system based on best practices implemented in Canada and other countries.

Included in the Guidebook is information on extreme heat events and the potential health risks to Canadians, including those most vulnerable to the impacts. Guidance on developing a heat alert and response system that addresses heat-health vulnerabilities at population and community levels is presented along with a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of existing systems. The Guidebook also provides examples of preventative measures to reduce ambient temperatures in urban environments and case studies of interventions drawn from communities across Canada and internationally.

Extreme Heat and Health in Canada - Resources for the Health and Emergency Management Sectors (CD)

(2012) The Extreme Heat and Health in Canada CD contains a collection of Health Canada's publications concerning extreme heat and the related health effects. The CD contains eleven (11) publications in pdf format which are available for reviewing, downloading, or ordering directly from Health Canada's online ordering system, using the links provided. This product has been designed for easy dissemination at events.

Adaptation Bulletins

• Number 3 - February 2011
• Number 2 - February 2011
• Number 1 - November 2009

Newsletters: Your Health and a Changing Climate:

• Volume 6 - January 2008
• Volume 5 - December 2006
• Volume 4 - October 2005 - Montreal 2005 Health Events
  
  
  Newsletter #4 was a special issue and highlighted events which took place during the Montreal Climate Change Conference in November 2005 (COP 11). The Conference provided an opportunity to learn more about the health impacts of a changing climate, and to exchange ideas on issues and solutions with health professionals and experts from around the world.
• Volume 3 - October 2005
• Volume 2 - October 2004
• Volume 1 - January 2004

Other Publications:

• (2008) Human Health in a Changing Climate: A Canadian Assessment of Vulnerabilities and Adaptive Capacity
• (2006) Our Climate - Our Health Video (duration 6 minutes)
  This video presentation:

  • examines the ways in which climate change can impact the health and well-being of people living in Canada, and identifies which groups are likely to be most affected.
  • looks at adaptative measures that are being taken to minimize the negative effects of climate change on human health in Canada.
  • encourages public health officials to apply climate change knowledge in the planning of health protection programs
  • If you would like to order a copy please contact the Climate Change and Health Office.
• (2005) Climate Change: Preparing for the Health Impacts
• (2004) Climate Change and Health: Research Report

Workshop and Conference Reports:

• (2002) Climate Change and Health and Well-Being: A Policy Primer for Canada's North
• (2002) Climate Change & Health Workshop Summary Reports
• (2001) Climate Change And Health & Well-Being In Canada's North: Report On A Public Health Planning Workshop On Climate Change And Health & Well-Being In The North - July 6-7, 2002, Yellowknife, NWT
• (2001) First National Health and Climate Change Science and Policy Research Agenda
• (2001) First National Health and Climate Change Science and Policy Research Consensus Conference
• (2001) Climate Change and Health and Well-Being - A Policy Primer
• (2001) Your Health and a Changing Climate
• (2001) First Climate Change and Health & Well-Being National Policy and Planning Conference
• (2000) Climate Change and Health Economic Advisory Panel - Final Report on Health Impacts of the Greenhouse Gases (Ghg) Mitigation Measures