EFA attended the "Research Perspectives on the Health Impacts of Climate Change", the first European Conference organised by the European Commission Directorate General of Research & Innovation (DG RESEARCH). The climate crisis is a health crisis, especially to our community, and must be addressed with equal focus and attention to human health and the co-benefits for health, especially allergy and lung health.
From left to right: EFA representatives, Agata Papotto and Panagiotis Chislaridies at the Climate Change and Health Research conference. Maria Neira, WHO Director, Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health and Panagiotis Chaslaridis.
On 19-20 February 2024, EFA attended the "Research Perspectives on the Health Impacts of Climate Change" conference in Brussels, organised by the DG Research & Innovation of the European Commission. The conference was very timely given EFA’s new Climate change programme 2023-2025.
Climate change poses significant threats to public health around the world. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, poor air quality, and other impacts of climate change directly harm human health. However, the importance of this impact is often overlooked, as climate adaptation falls back to become an urgent policy priority, focused mostly on climate change mitigation. However, a climate emergency is a health emergency already affecting people with allergy and respiratory diseases.
The discussion brought together different stakeholders including EU policymakers, WHO representatives, researchers and organisations to reflect on the research needs in the field of climate change and human health with a mission to build an inclusive research and innovation agenda.
At the conference, EFA brought the allergy and lung health patient perspective to the discussions on the health risks of climate change.
Climate change is a health threat
All speakers and attendants agreed - climate change is a health threat. Science has shown that the health impact of climate change has become an undeniable reality. Climate-driven hazards such as heatwaves, air pollution, water scarcity, and food supply problems increase deaths and disease in the EU and globally.
Around, 8.5m out of 13.7m deaths caused by the environment are the result of non-communicable diseases. What’s more, EFA also highlighted the health effects of increasing pollen, mainly driven by the ever-warming planetary conditions.
One health approach to tackle climate change
To reverse the threats posed by climate change, the EU cannot afford to prioritise mitigation over adaptation, but needs to work on both fronts with equal focus, and with special attention to human health and the health co-benefits.
Fostering public understanding of the climate risks is key in raising public pressures for responsible policymaking, as implementation is often low. It is important that the scientific world as well as all communities related to One Health, engage strongly with policymakers.
Action on climate and health
Speakers also made several urgent pleas, calling for more interdisciplinary research and highlighting the need to break silos and bring together the climate and health policymakers, researchers and stakeholder communities such as EFA. This approach is expected to be reflected in the upcoming EU Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA), offering a preliminary guide of assessing risks including health and other systems affected by climate.
More information about the conference can be found here.