Climate Change and Health in British Columbia: Projected Impacts and a Proposed Agenda for Adaptation Research and Policy

This is a case study describing how climate change may affect the health of British Columbians and to suggest a way forward to promote health and policy research, and adaptation to these changes. After reviewing the limited evidence of the impacts of climate change on human health we have developed five principles to guide the development of research and policy to better predict future impacts of climate change on health and to enhance adaptation to these change in BC. We suggest that, with some modification, these principles will be useful to policy makers in other jurisdictions

Effectiveness of Public Health Interventions in Reducing Morbidity and Mortality during Heat Episodes: a Structured Review

Increasing concern over the impact of hot weather on health has fostered the development of public health interventions to reduce heat-related health impacts. However, evidence of the effectiveness of such interventions is rarely cited for justification. Our objective was to review peer-reviewed and grey literature evaluating interventions aimed at reducing morbidity and/or mortality in populations during hot weather episodes. Among studies considering public risk perceptions, most respondents were aware when an extreme heat episode was occurring but did not necessarily change their practices, primarily due to a lack of self-perception as vulnerable and confusion about the appropriate actions to be taken. Among studies of health outcomes during and following heat episodes, studies were suggestive of positive impacts in reducing morbidity and mortality. While the limited evaluative work to date suggests a positive impact of public health interventions, concern persists about whether the most vulnerable groups, like the elderly and homeless, are being adequately reached

Integrating Environmental and Human Health Databases in the Great Lakes Basin: Themes, Challenges and Future Directions

Many government, academic and research institutions collect environmental data that are relevant to understanding the relationship between environmental exposures and human health. Integrating these data with health outcome data presents new challenges that are important to consider to improve our effective use of environmental health information. Our objective was to identify the common themes related to the integration of environmental and health data, and suggest ways to address the challenges and make progress toward more effective use of data already collected, to further our understanding of environmental health associations in the Great Lakes region. Environmental and human health databases were identified and reviewed using literature searches and a series of one-on-one and group expert consultations. Databases identified were predominantly environmental stressors databases, with fewer found for health outcomes and human exposure. Nine themes or factors that impact integration were identified: data availability, accessibility, harmonization, stakeholder collaboration, policy and strategic alignment, resource adequacy, environmental health indicators, and data exchange networks. The use and cost effectiveness of data currently collected could be improved by strategic changes to data collection and access systems to provide better opportunities to identify and study environmental exposures that may impact human health

Integrating Environmental and Human Health Databases in the Great Lakes Basin: Themes, Challenges and Future Directions

Many government, academic and research institutions collect environmental data that are relevant to understanding the relationship between environmental exposures and human health. Integrating these data with health outcome data presents new challenges that are important to consider to improve our effective use of environmental health information. Our objective was to identify the common themes related to the integration of environmental and health data, and suggest ways to address the challenges and make progress toward more effective use of data already collected, to further our understanding of environmental health associations in the Great Lakes region. Environmental and human health databases were identified and reviewed using literature searches and a series of one-on-one and group expert consultations. Databases identified were predominantly environmental stressors databases, with fewer found for health outcomes and human exposure. Nine themes or factors that impact integration were identified: data availability, accessibility, harmonization, stakeholder collaboration, policy and strategic alignment, resource adequacy, environmental health indicators, and data exchange networks. The use and cost effectiveness of data currently collected could be improved by strategic changes to data collection and access systems to provide better opportunities to identify and study environmental exposures that may impact human health

Seasonal variations in healthcare-associated infection in neonates in Canada

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the seasonal pattern of healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) among neonates and to describe the trend of HCAI

Cold Weather Conditions and Risk of Hypothermia Among People Experiencing Homelessness: Implications for Prevention Strategies

Hypothermia is a preventable condition that disproportionately affects individuals who experience homelessness, yet limited data exist to inform the response to cold weather. To fill this gap, we examined the association between meteorological conditions and the risk of hypothermia among homeless individuals. Hypothermic events were identified from emergency department charts and coroner’s records between 2004 and 2015 in Toronto, Canada. A time-stratified case-crossover design with conditional logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between the meteorological conditions (minimum temperature and precipitation) and the risk of hypothermia. There were 97 hypothermic events identified: 79 injuries and 18 deaths. The odds of experiencing a hypothermic event increased 1.64-fold (95% CI: 1.30–2.07) with every 5 °C decrease in the minimum daily temperature and 1.10-fold (95% CI: 1.03–1.17) with every 1 mm increase in precipitation. The risk of hypothermia among individuals experiencing homelessness increased with declining temperature; however, most cases occurred during periods of low and moderate cold stress. 72% occurred when the minimum daily temperatures were warmer than −15 °C. These findings highlight the importance of providing a seasonal cold weather response to prevent hypothermia, complemented by an alert-based response on extremely cold days