Climate change in Ireland is consistent with global patterns. The potential impacts of climate change on health are expected to become more severe. Health risks related to climate change vary based on location. In Ireland the main changes are likely to be:
Rise in heatwave-related health impacts
This includes:
- Heat exhaustion and Heat stroke particularly affecting older persons, children and outdoor workers
- Increased UV exposure resulting in melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancers, damage to eyes
- Poor air quality (related to increased ozone, wildfires, low dispersal of pollution) resulting in increased risk of asthma attacks, worsening COPD and heart disease
- All of the above result in more fatalities in Europe
Rise in flood and storm-related health impacts
This includes:
- Disruption to essential healthcare and emergency services
- Increased injuries and deaths
- Polluted drinking water increasing risk of infectious diseases
Changes in patterns of food-borne disease
This includes
- more parasites and enteric viruses in food
Rise in waterborne diseases
This includes more infections through water-borne organisms and pathogens such as cholera.
Rise in respiratory diseases
Respiratory diseases result in more premature deaths because of high levels of ozone exposure. There may be an increase in deaths because of toxic air pollution from wildfires. An increased number of infections associated with aeroallergens may occur.
The focus of the global climate agenda is on reducing carbon emissions and minimising environmental harm, but as climate change is already impacting health, we need to adapt and become resilient too.
Climate adaptation (adjusting to the rapidly increasing changes already happening) is urgently needed.
Consequences of extreme weather include:
- air and water pollution
- diseases linked to climate change
- shortages of essential resources like food, water, and electricity
Climate change impacts on the environment raises the risk of vector-borne (such as mosquito borne West Nile Virus, dengue, malaria) and water-borne diseases (from drinking contaminated water).
The HSE faces the following challenges in adapting to climate change:
- safeguarding the health of the public from climate-related health impacts
- building resilience into human resources, operations, and critical infrastructure to ensure safe healthcare delivery in the face of climate change
- coping with higher demand for healthcare services and different patterns of demand
- learning from events such as flooding, heatwaves and storms to improve resilience
adaptation planning and action is necessary to protect the health and wellbeing of people in Ireland, ensure the smooth delivery of our health and social care services, and protect our critical infrastructure
