Climate Change and Health News and Research

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WHO survey highlights how many countries lack funding to deal with health impacts of climate change

Countries have begun to prioritize health in their efforts to protect people from the impact of climate change, but only about a quarter of those recently surveyed by the World Health Organization have been able to fully implement their national health and climate change plans or strategies.

8 Nov 2021

Health and climate change in Australia

The 2021 MJA–Lancet Countdown report represents a collaborative effort between University College London, and seven Australian institutions, mediated by The Lancet in partnership with The Medical Journal of Australia.

22 Oct 2021

WHO’s new report highlights 10 priorities for safeguarding the health of people and the planet

Countries must set ambitious national climate commitments if they are to sustain a healthy and green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

12 Oct 2021

How can healthcare professionals help address climate change?

In this interview, we spoke to researchers about how healthcare professionals can help to address the health issues surrounding climate change.

12 Oct 2021

Long working hours are increasingly causing work-related deaths, global report says

Almost two million people worldwide die of work-related causes, according to joint estimates by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization, which cite long working hours, pollution and poor conditions as major factors.

2 Oct 2021

Study finds stark racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in COVID-19 vaccination rates

In a study of the 9 largest U.S. cities, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found stark racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in COVID-19 vaccination rates across neighborhoods.

8 Sep 2021

Study shows an increase in home drinking during COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic months of March 2020 to September 2020, U.S. alcohol retail store sales increased compared to usual trends while food services and drinking places sales decreased markedly during the same period, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

19 Aug 2021

Study shows joint effects of perceived risk and availability on cannabis use

Combined perceptions of the risk and availability of cannabis influence the risk of cannabis use more than perceived risk and perceived availability alone, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

16 Jul 2021

Three in ten people unable to do frequent handwashing at home during COVID-19

Health experts cited frequent handwashing as a key way to prevent the spread of infection as COVID-19 took hold. But a global report has found that three in ten people were unable to do this in their homes.

13 Jul 2021

Asia accounts for more than half of global temperature-related deaths, study finds

Asia accounts for more than half of the over five million global deaths attributed to ambient cold and hot temperatures, according to an international study. But many governments are failing to prioritize health in their climate change strategies, experts warn.

12 Jul 2021

People's desire to live into older ages reduced by hypothetical adverse life scenarios

A new study sheds light on how the specter of dementia and chronic pain reduce people's desire to live into older ages.

12 Jul 2021

WHO: Effective action needed to protect the health of children from toxic e-waste

Effective and binding action is urgently required to protect the millions of children, adolescents and expectant mothers worldwide whose health is jeopardized by the informal processing of discarded electrical or electronic devices according to a new ground-breaking report from the World Health Organization: Children and Digital Dumpsites.

15 Jun 2021

Addressing climate change for better kidney health

Health has always been affected by climate and weather, but is increasingly clear that the change in climate is a significant threat to human health.

7 Jun 2021

COVID-19 has had a detrimental impact on adolescent mental health, study finds

A study of over 59,000 Icelandic adolescents by a team of Icelandic and North American behavioral and social scientists found that COVID-19 has had a significant, detrimental impact on adolescent mental health, especially in girls.

5 Jun 2021

Promoting infant healthy feeding practices can result in lower consumption of fats, carbohydrates later

Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Brazil found that when health workers were trained to promote infant healthy feeding practices to pregnant women their children consumed less fats and carbohydrates at 3 years of age and had lower measures of body fat at the age of 6.

1 Jun 2021

Columbia creates Jennifer Schlecht Memorial Scholarship to support careers in sexual and reproductive health

The Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health announced today the creation of the Jennifer Schlecht Memorial Scholarship for Sexual and Reproductive Health Justice in Fragile Settings which will be awarded annually as part of the Jennifer Schlecht Memorial Fund, hosted by Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) at the United Nations Foundation.

13 May 2021

Increased symptomatic levels of COVID-19 may be associated with psychiatric symptoms

A significant level of symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress may follow COVID-19 independent of any previous psychiatric diagnoses, according to new research by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health with colleagues at Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul in Brazil.

7 May 2021

Evidence on effectiveness of digital mental health interventions for adolescents remains inconclusive

An increasing number of digital mental health interventions are designed for adolescents and young people with a range of mental health issues, but the evidence on their effectiveness is mixed, according to research by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Spark Street Advisors.

30 Apr 2021

Using naturalistic driving data for early detection of mild cognitive impairment and dementia

Using naturalistic driving data and machine learning techniques, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed highly accurate algorithms for detecting mild cognitive impairment and dementia in older drivers.

28 Apr 2021

Despite global efforts, allocation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines are not equitable

Ensuring COVID-19 vaccine access for refugee and displaced populations, and addressing health inequities, is vital for an effective pandemic response.

20 Apr 2021