DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release (2007/0099) issued by The Government News Network on 4
May 2007
THE UK will be
better able to prepare for the possible impact of climate change
on public health, thanks to new research..
An updated report of Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK
has been published which estimates the possible impacts of climate
change on health.
This will help the health sector effectively plan development of
services to meet the needs of the population both now and in the
future, and also highlights areas where more research is needed.
The main findings of the report include;
There is a one in 40 chance that by 2012 South Eastern England
will have experienced a serious heatwave.
Periods of very cold weather will become less common - while
periods of very hot weather will become more common. Winter deaths
will continue to decline as the climate warms.
Flooding is an increasing risk.
Tick-borne diseases are likely to become more common in the UK,
but this is more likely to be due to change in land use and
leisure activities than to climate change.
Increased exposure to sunshine and ultra violet light will lead
to an increase in skin cancers.
The UK population seems to be adapting to increasingly warm conditions.
Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said:
"Climate change poses great challenges and it is important
to plan ahead for the health consequences. Actions are being taken
across the UK Government and the NHS to reduce emissions
contributing to climate change. We are at the forefront of
preparing for climate change - the UK's Climate Change Bill
is the first legislation of its kind in the world, establishing a
long term legal framework to underpin our contribution to tackling
climate change, by putting in place a clear and credible emissions
reduction pathway to a statutory goal of a 60 per cent reduction
in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
"Mandatory targets for energy efficiency for the public
sector are being set and work is continuing across the NHS at a
regional and local level to mitigate the projected impacts of
climate change.
"In January we announced a £100m Energy and Sustainability
Capital Fund to assist the NHS to meet the target of 15 per cent
or 0.15 million tonnes carbon efficiency saving between 2000 and 2010.
"One of the effects of climate change already encountered in
this country is the increased frequency of heatwaves. The
devastating heatwave across Europe in 2003 led to us launching the
National Heatwave Plan in 2004, in which a Heat-Health Watch
system operates in England during the summer months, with four
levels of response and appropriate advice.
"Work is being encouraged at a regional and local level to
deal with the possible health effects of climate change. Key
areas include adapting the health and social care infrastructure
to be more resilient to the effects of heat, gales and floods,
and developing local plans to cope with disasters. We are
increasing awareness of how people can adapt to changes in climate.
"Let's not forget that society also has a role to play
- we can all do our bit to help the environment through consumer
choice, reducing carbon footprints and recycling waste."
One of the authors of the report, Professor Robert Maynard from
the Health Protection Agency, said;
"The present scientific consensus is that the climate is
changing and that human activity is contributing significantly to
this. We have to prepare for the consequences and consider the
possible health impacts. Some aspects are positive, for example
there are likely to be fewer deaths due to cold weather, but
others are potentially negative, including increases in food
poisoning and dangers from both floods and droughts."
Environment Minister Ian Pearson said;
"This report underlines the potential impact of climate
change on human health.
"Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change delivered a report which showed that there would be a
major threat to health around the globe.
"And it's not a threat that's exclusive to the
developing world. The European heat wave of 2003 shows that
developed countries are also vulnerable to climate change. We need
to take this threat seriously and start to adapt now to safeguard
our future health."
NOTES TO EDITORS
For enquiries please contact the Public Enquiry Line on 0207 210 4850.
1, The report is being placed on the DH website (http://www.dh.gov.uk/airpollution)
and the HPA website (http://www.hpa.org.uk) for
comment for a period of six weeks. Comments will be taken into
account and a final version published in July.
2. In 2002, the Department of Health first published a report on
the 'Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK.' This
report was amongst the first of its kind in that it sought to
provide quantitative estimates of the possible impacts of climate
change on health. Now, the Department of Health and the Health
Protection Agency are publishing an update to the original report.
This new report should be read in conjunction with the original report.
[ENDS]