Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals

The document details how climate change affects Canadian health through extreme heat, air pollution, UV radiation, and the spread of vector-borne and water-borne diseases. It emphasizes that marginalized populations, including Indigenous peoples and low-income individuals, face disproportionate risks. Regional analyses highlight specific threats such as melting permafrost in the North, hurricanes in Atlantic Canada, and increased drought in the Prairies.

• Extreme heat is a significant health risk in Canada, with warming in the northern regions occurring at approximately three times the global mean. Heat waves have caused substantial mortality, such as a July 2018 event in Quebec that resulted in 93 heat-related deaths and a 2009 event in British Columbia that saw a 40% increase in mortality.
• Air pollution is a major driver of premature mortality in Canada, estimated at 14,400 annual deaths. Climate change exacerbates this through increased ground-level ozone formation and higher concentrations of pollen and forest fire smoke, which can travel long distances to impact air quality in multiple provinces.
• Climate change is facilitating the expansion of vector-borne diseases. Human cases of Lyme disease increased from 144 in 2009 to 2,025 in 2017, with the black-legged tick expanding into eastern and central Canada. West Nile virus also remains a concern, with predicted range expansion in the Prairie provinces.
• Water and food safety are compromised by extreme weather. Heavy rainfall and flooding increase the risk of water-borne disease outbreaks, as seen in the 2000 Walkerton, Ontario contamination. In northern communities, warming temperatures are leading to increased food spoilage and challenges in storing traditional foods during hunting.
• Climate change acts as a "poverty multiplier," disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Indigenous peoples, low-income individuals, seniors, and children face higher risks due to existing health inequities, lack of access to air conditioning or home insurance, and dependence on traditional land-based food sources.
• Mental health is impacted both directly by extreme events and indirectly by gradual environmental changes. Disasters like the Fort McMurray fire can lead to PTSD, anxiety, and depression, while the loss of home or identity due to environmental damage is described as “solastalgia”.
• Regional risks vary across Canada: Northern Canada faces rapid warming and melting permafrost; Atlantic Canada is prone to intense storms and rising sea levels; Quebec and Ontario face increased heat waves and flooding; the Prairies are susceptible to severe drought; and British Columbia deals with significant forest fire smoke and coastal warming.

APA

Doyle, H. M. (2019). Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-3-ready-to-upload-SOLO-April-5-2019.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Doyle, Helen Marie. Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals. Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, 2019. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-3-ready-to-upload-SOLO-April-5-2019.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Doyle |first1=Helen Marie |title=Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals |publisher=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |date=April 2019 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-3-ready-to-upload-SOLO-April-5-2019.pdf#new_tab |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{doyle2019climate, author = {Doyle, Helen Marie}, title = {{Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals}}, institution = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Module-3-ready-to-upload-SOLO-April-5-2019.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }