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CDC Policy

    View of Earth from space

    CDC leads efforts to anticipate the health effects of climate change, to assure that systems are in place to detect and track them, and to take steps to prepare for, respond to, and manage associated risks.

    CDC Policy on Climate Change and Public Health

    PDF Version of CDC Policy on Climate Change and Public Health Download PDF Version of Policy [PDF, 35KB]

    Scientific Framework

  • There is widespread scientific consensus that the world’s climate is changing. Some of the effects of climate change are likely to include more variable weather, heat waves, heavy precipitation events, flooding, droughts, more intense storms such as hurricanes, sea level rise, and air pollution. Each of these changes has the potential to negatively affect health. While climate change is recognized as a global issue, the effects of climate change will vary across geographic regions and populations.
  • Although scientific understanding of the effects of climate change is still emerging, there is a pressing need to prepare for potential health risks. This public health preparedness approach is applied to other threats in the absence of complete data, such as terrorism and pandemic influenza. A wide variety of organizations (federal, state, local, multilateral, private and nongovernmental) is working to address the implications of global climate change. Despite this breadth of activity, the public health effects of climate change remain largely unaddressed.
  • Climate change has the potential to impact health in many ways. While some of these are unpredictable, others (shown in the table) are supported by considerable evidence.


    • Weather Event

    Health Effects

    Populations Most Affected

    Heat waves

    Heat stress

    Extremes of age, athletes, people with respiratory disease

    Extreme weather events,(rain, hurricane, tornado, flooding)

    Injuries, drowning

    Coastal, low-lying land dwellers, low SES

    Droughts, floods, increased mean temperature

    Vector-, food- and water-borne diseases

    Multiple populations at risk

    Sea-level rise

    Injuries, drowning, water and soil salinization, ecosystem and economic disruption

    Coastal, low SES

    Drought, ecosystem migration

    Food and water shortages, malnutrition

    Low SES, elderly, children

    Extreme weather events, drought

    Mass population movement, international conflict

    General population

    Increases in ground-level ozone, airborne allergens, and other pollutants

    Respiratory disease exacerbations (COPD, asthma, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis)

    Elderly, children, those with respiratory disease

    Climate change generally; extreme events

    Mental health

    Young, displaced, agricultural sector, low SES

    Public Health Approach

    Building on existing programs and the Essential Public Health Services, CDC has identified the following priority health actions for climate change:

    1. Serve as a credible source of information on the health consequences of climate change for the U.S. population and globally.
    2. Track data on environmental conditions, disease risks, and disease occurrence related to climate change.
    3. Expand capacity for modeling and forecasting health effects that may be climate-related.
    4. Enhance the science base to better understand the relationship between climate change and health outcomes.
    5. Identify locations and population groups at greatest risk for specific health threats, such as heat waves.
    6. Communicate the health-related aspects of climate change, including risks and ways to reduce them, to the public, decision makers, and healthcare providers.
    7. Develop partnerships with other government agencies, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, universities, and international organizations to more effectively address U.S. and global health aspects of climate change.
    8. Provide leadership to state and local governments, community leaders, healthcare professionals, nongovernmental organizations, the faith-based communities, the private sector and the public, domestically and internationally, regarding health protection from climate change effects.
    9. Develop and implement preparedness and response plans for health threats such as heat waves, severe weather events, and infectious diseases.
    10. Provide technical advice and support to state and local health departments, the private sector, and others in implementing national and global preparedness measures related to the health effects of climate change.
    11. Promote workforce development by helping to ensure the training of a new generation of competent, experienced public health staff to respond to the health threats posed by climate change.

    Additional Resources


  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [External Link]
    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programm (UNEP) to assess scientific, technical and socio- economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
  • U.S. Climate Change Science Program [External Link]
    The Climate Change Science Program integrates federal research on climate and global change, as sponsored by thirteen federal agencies and overseen by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Council on Environmental Quality, the National Economic Council and the Office of Management and Budget.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Climate Change [External Link]
    EPA's Climate Change Site offers comprehensive information on the issue of climate change in a way that is accessible and meaningful to all parts of society – communities, individuals, business, states and localities, and governments.
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