Chemistry International
Vol. 23, No. 6
November 2001
New
Publications from the World Health Organization
Climate Change and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion: Early
Effects on Our Health in Europe, WHO Regional Publications, European
Series No. 88, Edited by Sari Kovats, Bettina Menne, Anthony McMichael,
Roberto Bertollini, and Colin Soskoine, WHO Regional Office for Europe,
Copenhagen 2000, xii + 116 pages (English only), ISBN 92-890- 1355-9,
CHF 35.-/USD 31.50; In developing countries: CHF 24.50, Order No. 1310088.
People are concerned about the impact on their health of the climate
warming and stratospheric ozone depletion that Europe has been experiencing
for the last century. This publication attempts to clarify the early
effects these environmental changes are having on our health, and the
further effects they may have in the future. What is certain is that
more frequent thermal stress, associated or not with air pollution,
causes illness and death, especially among the elderly; extreme weather
events such as floods cause death, illness, and material damage; some
water- and food-borne diseases increase during extreme weather conditions,
such as heavy rainfall and heatwaves; malaria could increase with climate
warming; and ozone depletion increases skin cancer and weakens the immune
system. While much is still uncertain about the precise relationship
between changes in the climate and changes in disease patterns, the
need for action is clear: action either to reduce the climate change
itself, or to reduce its harmful effects.
Contents
Introduction
1. Climate change in Europe
2. Effects on health of climate change in Europe
3. Health effects of stratospheric ozone depletion
4. Early effects of climate change on human health
5. Action to reduce the health effects of climate change
6. Conclusions
Also included:
- policy document prepared for the Third Ministerial Conference on
Environment and Health, London, June 1999, containing recommendations
on action to reduce and prevent the effects of climate change on people's
health
- list of members of the working group who produced it