A new era in global climate change and human health research funding and action – CDC

Abstract

Background: In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established an agency-wide Climate and Health Task Force in response to Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The Task Force’s objective is to reduce the health impacts of climate change by developing a comprehensive approach to integrate climate and health activities across CDC programs, coordinate with external partners, and increase capacity to prepare for and respond to the health impacts of climate change, particularly among those disproportionately affected. The new agency-wide climate and health strategy emphasizes health equity, surveillance, preparedness, research and communication. Methods: The agency created mission and vision statements that focus on the need to address climate-related health inequities at home and abroad. The Task Force subsequently identified five focus areas for the climate and health strategic framework: Health Equity and Environmental Justice; Surveillance, Analytics, Modeling, and Forecasting; Preparedness, Response, Prevention, and Adaptation; Research, Implementation Science, and Evaluation; and Education and Dissemination. Results: For each focus area, an overarching goal and several priority outcomes have been developed, along with key implementation actions for each outcome, evaluation metrics and implementation timelines. Several of the focus areas have important intersections with other agency priorities, including health equity, emergency preparedness and data modernization initiatives. Conclusion: Climate change is the biggest environmental public health threat of our time, and its direct and indirect impacts on human health and wellbeing are worsening. By implementing the new strategic approach, CDC aims to address this threat by detecting, investigating, forecasting, tracking, preventing, and responding to the public health threats of climate change, addressing health inequities, and strengthening community resilience. Keywords: Climate change; public health; health equity; climate resilience