Climate Change and Human Health Impacts in the United States: An Update on the Results of the U.S. National Assessment

Ebi, Kristie L.; Mills, David M.; Smith, Joel B.; Grambsch, Anne

The ability of the U.S. health care system to respond to an increase in the burden of climatesensitive outcomes will play a critical role in determining the net health impact of climate change. In this regard, there have been at least two significant developments since the release of the U.S. National Assessment. First, the recognition of the critical role played by the public health system in protecting the nation's health has increased, which has led to a significant increase in the commitment of resources to the public health sector, particularly public health surveillance and training (Staiti et al. 2003) . This shift is the product of many factors, including the terrorist attacks of September 11, the anthrax attacks in 2001, the fear of bioterrorist attacks (Staiti et al. 2003) , and the continued spread of introduced illnesses such as West Nile virus. In addition, the 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak highlighted how quickly diseases can spread from one region to another, the importance of improving public health systems in many developing countries, and the importance of timely and comprehensive public health surveillance systems (Levine et al. 2003) .