FEATURED MEDICAL EDUCATION TOPIC: Climate Change and Health

What is the problem?

The effects of climate change have measurable consequences for individual patients, communities, and entire populations. As climate-related hazards such as extreme or prolonged heat, wildfires, flooding, and tropical storms become more common globally, clinicians across all specialties encounter their health implications in practice, yet many have not received formal training in recognizing or managing climate-exacerbated illness. Data on climate change and the health effects of extreme weather events continue to evolve, and emerging evidence on heat exposure, wildfire smoke, and the secondary effects of climate change is directly relevant to patient care. Like most disasters, climate-related events disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, making awareness of socioeconomic and clinical risk factors essential to equitable care.

This presentation will review current data and evidence-based projections related to climate and health at both the individual and population level, with particular focus on at-risk populations. Participants will gain skills in addressing climate-exacerbated illness, understanding patient-specific risk factors related to hazards such as heat and smoke, and informing administrative and operational decisions related to preparedness, enabling both improved patient care and greater health system resilience.

Proposed Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the learners will be able to:

• Interpret current data on the magnitude of climate change and evidence-based projections of its trajectory
• Differentiate the observed and projected health effects of major climate-related hazards, including extreme heat, air pollution, and severe weather events
• Evaluate the impact of climate-related events on communities, healthcare systems, and patient outcomes
• Integrate evidence-based strategies into clinical practice to manage climate-exacerbated illness and strengthen health system resilience

If your medical staff needs a CME update on the health effects of climate change, consider contacting our office to book a speaker at 714-505-4777 or info@speakersnetwork.com.

REFERENCES

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health

https://nam.edu/product/health-impacts-of-climate-change

American Red Cross. Red Cross helping wildfire victims now; will continue to offer support in weeks and months to come. (n.d.). Retrieved June 18, 2026, from https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/press-release/2025/red-cross-helping-in-southern-california-as-wildfires-force-thousands-from-their-homes.html

Armstrong PM, Andreadis TG, Shepard JJ, Thomas MC. Northern range expansion of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus): Analysis of mosquito data from Connecticut, USA. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2017;11(5):e0005623. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0005623

Avilés Mendoza, G. J., Finne, K. P., Torre Leon, F., Burke, L. M., Cabrera-Marquez, J., Mercado Casillas, A. M., Malave, G., Brown, C., Kelman, J., & Kopp, J. B. (2021). Observations from the emergency management of dialysis patients evacuated from the US Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico following hurricane Irma. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1), 1239. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07194-6

Barnes, C., Keeping, T., Madakumbura, G., Abatzoglou, J., Williams, P., AghaKhouchak, A., Pinto, I., Thompson, V., Vautard, R., Lampe, S., Thiery, W., Pietroiusti, R., Otto, F., Vahlberg, M., Singh, R., Lambrou, N., Blakely, E., Zhu, Y., Li, J., & Benmarhnia, T. (2025). Climate change increased the likelihood of wildfire disaster in highly exposed Los Angeles area. https://doi.org/10.25560/118628

Chen AI, Ebisu K, Benmarhnia T, Basu R. Emergency department visits associated with wildfire smoke events in California, 2016–2019. Environmental Research. 2023;238:117154. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2023.117154

County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health. Locally Acquired Case of Dengue in Los Angeles County. Published online October 15, 2025. Accessed July 3, 2026. http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/eprd/lahan/alerts/LAHANAlertDengue101525.pdf

De Souza WM, Weaver SC. Effects of climate change and human activities on vector-borne diseases. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2024;22(8):476-491. doi:10.1038/s41579-024-01026-0