Developing solutions for temperature-related health impacts in the UK
Lead Research Organisation:
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
There is growing recognition that ambient temperature and other climate factors can affect the health of the UK population via multiple pathways, ranging from direct impacts such as increased deaths and hospital admissions during a heat-wave, to indirect processes such as the role of climate factors in driving the spread of ticks and other vectors that can cause diseases. Understanding such impacts and developing solutions therefore requires multi-disciplinary expertise which the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) on Environmental Change and Health is uniquely placed to deliver since its long-standing programme of research and training is already contributing to improved understanding of the health impacts of climate change and other environmental challenges, the actions needed to protect UK public health, and the opportunities for improving health of policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This partnership between LSHTM, UKHSA, UCL, and the Met Office consists of members who have long been at the forefront of research into climate change and health, with expertise in health, environmental science, behavioural and social science, building science, climate change, health economics, insect biology, and mathematical modelling:
https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/hpru-ech#welcome
The aims of this new project led by the HPRU consortium plus additional climate scientists are to foster strong and enduring links between the climate and health science communities and to generate policy-relevant evidence on the full range of health impacts associated with climate factors that can inform adaptation and mitigation measures and enhance climate resilience of the UK population. The project objectives are:
To develop and apply methods for improved detection of weather-related health impacts and to identify high-risk groups and health inequalities associated with climate exposures.
To undertake a dedicated programme of work in the home, built and natural environments that will improve understanding of climate-related health impacts and the gains and risks associated with interventions in these settings.
To develop a national synthetic population model incorporating environmental, demographic and socio-economic data with detailed spatial information that can be used to quantify the impacts of different environmental interventions on population health and health inequalities, which can inform local and national policies.
The project responds to the call by assessing the impacts of climate variability on a range of health outcomes, including novel use of the UK Renal Registry's automated alert system which enables assessment of whether the timing of Acute Kidney Injury episodes coincide with temperature extremes. We will estimate future mortality and morbidity impacts under different global warming scenarios. We will evaluate the health benefits and economic costs associated with a range of adaptation strategies, including building design and retrofit measures in the housing sector, the impacts of future urbanisation trends on urban heat islands, and natural environment interventions such as the cooling potential of urban trees in enhancing population adaptation to climate change. We will quantify the health benefits of mitigation policies needed to achieve the Government's net zero targets.
This ambitious project will also enhance research capacity between climate and health scientists by developing a programme of training courses and placement visits of health researchers to the Met Office. The HPRU's extensive stakeholder engagement and other knowledge mobilisation activities will ensure that research has maximum policy impact. The HPRU's dedicated public involvement and engagement group will inform research planning and dissemination of results.
https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/hpru-ech#welcome
The aims of this new project led by the HPRU consortium plus additional climate scientists are to foster strong and enduring links between the climate and health science communities and to generate policy-relevant evidence on the full range of health impacts associated with climate factors that can inform adaptation and mitigation measures and enhance climate resilience of the UK population. The project objectives are:
To develop and apply methods for improved detection of weather-related health impacts and to identify high-risk groups and health inequalities associated with climate exposures.
To undertake a dedicated programme of work in the home, built and natural environments that will improve understanding of climate-related health impacts and the gains and risks associated with interventions in these settings.
To develop a national synthetic population model incorporating environmental, demographic and socio-economic data with detailed spatial information that can be used to quantify the impacts of different environmental interventions on population health and health inequalities, which can inform local and national policies.
The project responds to the call by assessing the impacts of climate variability on a range of health outcomes, including novel use of the UK Renal Registry's automated alert system which enables assessment of whether the timing of Acute Kidney Injury episodes coincide with temperature extremes. We will estimate future mortality and morbidity impacts under different global warming scenarios. We will evaluate the health benefits and economic costs associated with a range of adaptation strategies, including building design and retrofit measures in the housing sector, the impacts of future urbanisation trends on urban heat islands, and natural environment interventions such as the cooling potential of urban trees in enhancing population adaptation to climate change. We will quantify the health benefits of mitigation policies needed to achieve the Government's net zero targets.
This ambitious project will also enhance research capacity between climate and health scientists by developing a programme of training courses and placement visits of health researchers to the Met Office. The HPRU's extensive stakeholder engagement and other knowledge mobilisation activities will ensure that research has maximum policy impact. The HPRU's dedicated public involvement and engagement group will inform research planning and dissemination of results.
