Health linked to climate change as theme of conference

The transdisciplinary conference Connecting Health and Climate Change raises issues on health linked to climate change.

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The conference, which is held in Stockholm, brings together researchers, experts, policy makers, and NGO and private sector representatives. Researchers from across the world will share their perspectives and discuss critical aspects on the link between climate and health.

“It’s obvious that we need to prepare ourselves for how to tackle huge global challenges relating to climate, excessive exploitation and biodiversity problems – in short, issues regarding sustainability and transition – and specifically how to approach and avoid large-scale health risks. A transdisciplinary approach is becoming ever so important, and we need to tackle this together,” says Henrik Sjödin, researcher in public health, global health and infectious epidemiology at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine.

Together with researchers Junwen Guo, Raman Preet and Hans Orru, he forms part of an international team organising the conference. The conference is a part of the Horizon 2020 project ENBEL, Enhancing Belmont Research Action to support EU policy making on climate change and health.

Climate changes and excessive exploitation of natural resources linked to the present-day biodiversity crisis seem to have considerable effects on health and the risk of contagious diseases.

“A great part of our research in this research group deals with understanding how changes in natural environments can impact the risk of contagious diseases. Climate changes and excessive exploitation of natural resources linked to the present-day biodiversity crisis seem to have considerable effects on health and the risk of contagious diseases,” says Henrik Sjödin.

Their research also focuses on how to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks and pandemics.

“We want to understand how and what natural functions can help reduce the risk of infection or climate impact. By preserving or re-establishing natural environments or processes, we might be able to activate and use functions that are already a natural element of our environs,” says Henrik Sjödin.

Climate and environmental issues

At the conference, research colleagues Maquines Odhiambo Sewe, Zia Farooq and Chaibo Jose Armando, all from the Henrik Sjödin Lab research group, will present scientific contributions on the theme of climate and environment, specifically concerning borrelia, West Nile virus in Europe and malaria in Eastern Africa.     

Also, several prominent people will hold presentations, not least Jan Fuglestvedt (CICERO), Cathryn Tonne (ISGlobal), Vladimir Kendrovski (WHO European Centre for Environment and Health), Aleksandra Kazmierczak (European Environment Agency), Halshka Graczyk (International Labour Organization), Ida Knutsson (Public Health Agency of Sweden) and Anders Nordström (Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Three symposia on the agenda

The conference also offers three symposia, of which one is led by ENBEL. The other two are led by Belmont Forum and a newly established cluster of Horizon Europe projects in climate and health. The last-mentioned symposium is organised by Raman Preet, research coordinator at Umeå University.

“We hope the conference will lead to people who have varied backgrounds of knowledge and research focus in climate and health to meet, discuss and share knowledge, which will hopefully create synergies and lead to novel discoveries. Questions concerning the link between climate, biodiversity and health really need to be highlighted further,” says Henrik Sjödin.

For those who cannot participate in Stockholm, participation online is possible. And for those who desire, a recording will be made available after the event. Learn more about the conference.