SESSION 1: Understanding the connections between weather, water, climate, and health security

Session 1, Monday, 24 January at 8:30 AM

(Joint between the Presidential Sessions and the 13th Conference on Environment and Health)

The Presidential Session on health security acknowledges that population health and well-being are fundamental to economic growth and development, as powerfully illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Weather, water, and climate are key drivers of population health, affecting the numbers of injuries, illnesses, and deaths from a wide range of chronic and infectious diseases.  Health security means minimizing the risks for population health shocks and stresses from whatever source, at all geographic scales; this includes minimizing the risks of weather and climate for health. This Presidential Session will explore the dimensions of health security and the potential for using environmental data and information to inform decisions to enhance health security.

 

The 90-minute session will include four presentations, followed by a panel discussion. Each presentation will be 12-13 minutes, with 2-3 minutes for clarifying questions. That will leave 30 minutes for discussion.

  • Captain Michael Schmoyer: overview of global health security

  • Olga Wilhelmi: compounding hazards as they can affect environmental health and safety

  • Jalonne White-Newsome: inequities increase vulnerabilities and decrease global health security

  • Juli Trtanj: integrating health and environmental data into early warning systems