Climate Change and Health – HCPs
Supporting your Clients during Extreme Heat
As the climate changes, extreme heat will happen more often and for longer periods of time. This increases the risk to many people, particularly those who are more vulnerable to heat due to exposure, employment or age. The following are some resources that have been created to support health care professionals to help reduce this risk and the severity of the outcomes from extreme heat.
- Extreme heat and human health: For pharmacists and pharmacist technicians
- Acute Care During Extreme Heat: Recommendations and Information for Health Care Workers
- Extreme Heat Events Guidelines: Technical Guide for Health Care Workers
- Community Care During Extreme Heat: Heat Illness: Prevention and Preliminary Care
- Health Facilities Preparation for Extreme Heat: Recommendations for Retirement and Care Facility Managers
Preventing, Identifying and Treating Vector-borne Diseases (e.g., Lyme Disease, West Nile Virus)
As the climate changes, there will be new diseases that spread to our area that our bodies have not been exposed to before and that we are not used to identifying, preventing or treating. Below are some resources that may be helpful for finding more information on them and what to do if you suspect someone has been infected.
- Lyme and other tick-borne diseases: For health professionals
- Increased risk of endemic mosquito-borne diseases with climate change
Climate Change, Extreme Weather, and Mental Health
Climate change can result in many traumatic events like fires, severe storms, floods, and droughts. This can lead to climate anxiety about our future, trauma from current events or fear based on past events (injuries, death, loss of home, job or livelihood). If your clients need support with their mental health the following resource may be helpful in learning more about mental health and climate change.