Global climate change is expected to have impacts on human health, with likely adverse impacts on respiratory health. Anticipated respiratory impacts include heat-induced increases in air pollution, increased allergic pollen exposures from changes in climate, increased vector-born respiratory disease, and heat-stress related critical care illness. Further research is needed to better understand the probability of these projected respiratory health effects, understand their links with climate change, and develop population and individual mitigation strategies to protect human health. The proposed workshop will convene respiratory disease experts and climate change experts to develop a document for publication that describes important research questions related to the respiratory health effects of global climate change, including research questions for the developed, developing and underdeveloped world, appropriate mechanisms for answering research questions, and knowledge gaps and research infrastructure needs to address important research questions.
(modified from application): As most recently described in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007 Fourth Assessment Report, global climate changes are likely driven by human activities and, unless quickly abated, will likely have severe and prolonged impacts on climate, including higher average temperatures and disruptions in existing weather and precipitation patterns that will adversely impact public health. Research is needed to better quantify, understand and develop mitigation and adaptation strategies to the anticipated direct and indirect respiratory health effects of climate change. Research is needed to address relevant questions for the developed, developing and under-developed world.
