Table 1.
Child-specific, climate-sensitive health risks and effects | Climate–health response function determinants | Current preventable climate-sensitive disease burden globally | Models of future burden of disease |
---|---|---|---|
Infectious disease | Vector control programs, water and sanitation infrastructure, immunization status | More than 80,000 annual deaths due to malaria and diarrheal disease in children < 15 years of age; DALYs not quantified by category | No age-stratified projections exist by disease category |
Food, water, toxics | Food and water availability, access, and quality | Almost 4,000 deaths from protein–energy malnutrition in children < 15 years of age; DALYs not quantified by category | |
Air contaminants | Particulate matter, ground-level ozone, and other pollutant levels; air quality alerts; pollen timing and intensity | Unquantified | |
Extreme weather | Early warning systems, emergency preparedness plans, baseline infrastructure | Almost 1,000 annual deaths from unintentional injury associated with extreme weather | |
Population displacement | Political stability, services available to climate refugees | Unquantified |
Adapted from Akachi et al. (2009), Bunyavanich et al. (2003), Ebi and Paulson (2007), and Shea et al. (2007).
Adapted from McMichael (2001a), WHO (2002a).