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Climate Change: Santé publique France, a key player at COP26
On the occasion of COP 26 in Glasgow, Santé publique France, IANPHI, and Public Health England are hosting an event on November 10 at the WHO Pavilion to highlight the role of national public health institutes in developing adaptation solutions and policies in response to climate change.
Climate change
thematic dossier
Climate change is rapidly and profoundly altering the environment. The health impacts of climate change are numerous and varied.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are recognized as major threats to public health. Impacts are already observable in France and around the world, such as the increase in extreme weather events, the emergence and severity of certain infectious diseases like zoonoses or vector-borne diseases, etc. To protect the health of current and future generations, we must now adapt to a new climate, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving biodiversity.
Joint Action at the International Level
In 2021, Santé publique France initiated a discussion within the IANPHI* association to strengthen the capacity of public health agencies and professionals to contribute to the design and evaluation of public policies for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The initial findings of this work and the outlook for the coming years will be presented with the participation of Santé publique France on November 10, 2021, at the World Health Organization pavilion at COP26.
National public health agencies: key players
This work highlights an urgent need for action to mitigate the potential health impacts of climate change on populations. National public health agencies, through their roles in detecting and preventing health risks, have a key role to play in achieving this objective.
Santé Publique France is therefore working in collaboration with IANPHI to strengthen the capacity of public health institutes on climate and biodiversity issues. Through knowledge sharing, case studies, and cross-sectoral collaborations, the two entities aim in particular to develop common indicators of the health impacts of climate change.
An active member of the International Association of National Public Health Agencies (IANPHI) since 2007, Santé publique France has served as the organization’s secretariat since 2016. A new agreement has been signed for a four-year term (2022–2025), reaffirming the agency’s ongoing commitment and contribution to the association’s operations.
Santé Publique France and IANPHI: A Shared Goal to Advocate for at COP26
Prof. Geneviève Chêne, Director General of Santé Publique France, alongside Prof. Duncan Selbie, President of IANPHI, will speak during COP26 from the official WHO pavilion to highlight the major public health challenge posed by climate change, the need to prioritize public health in the development of climate policies, and the establishment of global health as a new framework for action.
The goal is to reaffirm the need to implement national policies to combat climate change in order to address the inequalities it causes and to protect biodiversity. If rising temperatures persist over the coming years and exceed 1.5 degrees, the consequences for global public health will be numerous, impacting the well-being of future generations and leading to increased premature mortality and a rise in disease.
Building on previous international climate agreements, COP26 will facilitate discussions on major issues such as biodiversity loss, climate disruption, and their consequences for public health. IANPHI identifies climate change as a major threat to the health and well-being of the global population, as well as a driver of inequalities and socio-economic crises.
The Work and Commitment of Santé publique France in the Fight Against Climate Change
Since 2003, the agency has been committed to building knowledge, raising awareness, and providing information on the links between climate change and health through studies at the local and national levels, as well as through European and international collaborations. We also develop tools to support adaptation, ecological transition, and mitigation policies by illustrating the severity of climate change’s effects and highlighting the health co-benefits of these policies.
Indicators to promote the integration of public health into climate change adaptation policies
The health impacts of climate change span all areas of public health. Yet they are still largely overlooked in climate change adaptation policies. Santé publique France has explored the development of indicators for risk, exposure, vulnerability, impact, and intervention that would be useful to professionals in the fields of the environment, urban planning, and public health, with the aim of encouraging collaboration among them and, ultimately, contributing to the integration of health into all policies.
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Climate Change and Heat Waves
Climate change is leading to increasingly frequent and widespread heat waves. The health impacts require rapid prevention and fundamental interventions to make cities more resilient to heat: greening of buildings, selection of appropriate construction materials, reduction of land sealing by promoting soil porosity and restoring space for water...
Santé publique France and the Institut Paris Région studied the influence of certain urban characteristics conducive to the formation of heat islands on the relationship between temperature and mortality. The results of this study, published in 2020, show that the risk of heat-related mortality is lower in municipalities with more vegetation, trees, and less artificialized land.
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In addition, Santé publique France contributes to the monitoring and prevention of extreme heat waves, in collaboration with Météo-France and the Ministry of Health. Each year, as part of seasonal monitoring and during heatwave episodes, Santé publique France produces national and regional summaries related to weather and health conditions, and uses various communication tools to remind the public of simple steps to take to mitigate the health impacts of extreme heat.
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Climate Change and Public Health Disasters
Climate change is altering the characteristics of extreme weather events, making them, for example, more frequent, more intense, or affecting new areas. For instance, the wind speeds observed during Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which contributed to their destructive potential, are attributable to climate change.
Santé publique France monitors and assesses risks following extreme weather events and contributes to the immediate response through the public health reserve.
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Climate Change and Health Determinants
Santé publique France works on health determinants that can be directly and positively influenced by policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in relation to air pollution, nutrition, and physical activity. Climate policies can yield significant health co-benefits when they help improve these determinants.
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Climate Change and Vector-Borne Diseases
Climate change, combined with globalization, urbanization, and deforestation, contributes to the increased transmission of vector-borne diseases, particularly those transmitted by the Aedes albopictus mosquito, also known as the tiger mosquito. The Aedes albopictus mosquito, also known as the tiger mosquito, has been spreading across Europe and France for several years. It can transmit the dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses.
Each year, from November to May, thanks to the surveillance system in place, Santé publique France publishes the number of cases of Chikungunya, dengue, and Zika detected in mainland France.
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See also
* IANPHI (International Association of National Public Health Institutes) was founded in 2006 by several directors of national institutes (from the United States, China, Brazil, Finland, and Mexico). It has 110 members from 95 countries.
