44 | November 2022
C
limate change makes asth-
ma, COPD, diabetes, and
many other illnesses worse.
Somewhat surprisingly, doc-
tors and nurses may not know enough
about the health impacts of the climate
crisis to consider them when develop-
ing plans to treat climate-impacted
disease, or even to prevent it.
Harvard University, the American
Public Health Association (APHA),
Americares, and Biogen, a biotech
company committed to eliminating
100 percent of its fossil fuel emis-
sions by 2040, have teamed up to
create highly useful tool kits to help
parents, teachers, patients, and
public health providers reduce cli-
mate-related illness.
Here are three they highlighted at
a recent webinar organized by Sus-
tainable Brands titled, "Living Health-
ier in the Age of Climate Change: New
Resources to Address Climate and
Health." All are free and easily avail-
able at the links provided.
The Climate Resilience for
Frontline Clinics Toolkit
When Harvard's Center for Climate,
Health and the Global Environ-
ment surveyed clinic staff in 47 U.S.
states and territories, the results were
shocking:
• 81 percent of clinic staff said their
clinic experienced disruption due
to extreme weather within the
past three years.
• Fewer than 20 percent of staff felt
their clinic was very resilient.
• 7 percent said they either didn't
know how to prepare for climate
disruptions or didn't have the
tools they need to do so.
The Clinics Toolkit, developed with
Americares, a relief and development
organization that believes "health is
a human right," aims to change that.
The kit suggests assessing patients
with COPD or asthma for air quality
risks from indoor air pollution in their
homes. It shows healthcare providers
how to make a "Heat Action Plan" for
their patients and protect patients with
existing medical conditions during ex-
treme heat. It also suggests ways to
prepare for power outages, conserve
energy, and use backup solar panels
in the event of an outage.
The Parent & Educator Toolkit
This resource was created by AHA's
Children's Environmental Health
Committee. It includes fact sheets,
lesson plans, activity books, and ex-
planations of what climate change is
Tools to Live Healthier in
the Age of Climate Change
By Diane MacEachern
