Multiple national and international assessments of possible impacts of climate change on infectious diseases have highlighted a range of climate-sensitive diseases and the possibility of i) geographic spread of infectious diseases from endemic areas to regions where they have not been seen before; and ii) more epidemic behavior of mosquito-borne, and food and water-borne infectious diseases due to climate variability and extreme weather events.

To address these threats, adaptation programs require enhanced activity across public health functions of risk assessment, surveillance, and interventions (preventive measures, public health guidance, control measures, risk communications, and early warning systems).

Nick Ogden, Senior Research Scientist and Director of Public Health Risk Sciences Division, will share progress made with this endeavor at the Public Health Agency of Canada.