Climate Change and Health: Understanding Inequalities in a Warming World_02.pptx

Climate Change and Health: Understanding Inequalities in a Warming World

1. “ Climate Change and Health: Understanding Inequalities in a Warming World ” Tshewang Gyeltshen, MPH, PhD Candidate Department of Global Health Policy, School of International Health The University of Tokyo Date: 1 st October 2025

2. Outline 1. Overview of Climate Change 2. Health Impacts of Climate Change 3. Vulnerable Populations and regions 5. Mongolia: Climate-Risk Profile 6. Illustrative Health Inequalities Uptake of cancer screening (female vs. male) COVID-19 pandemic-related disparities Intergenerational Inequality of Climate Impact Study – Japan Conclusion 2

3. 1. The Overview of Climate Change 3 Source: IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM 2021

4. 4

5. 5

6. 2. Health Impacts of Climate Change Why an extra degree or two matters? 6

7. 7

8. 8

9. 9

10. Ecosystem: sensitive to temperature rise 10

11. 11

12. 12

13. 13

14. 14

15. Source: WHO 2022. BENDING THE TRENDS TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND WELLBEING A strategic foresight on the future of health promotion So, why does climate health research matters? Possible future balance of health paradigm shifts

16. 1990 2006 current

17. Disease Burden in Mongolia - IHME 17

18. 18

19. Mongolia – Climate Risk profile - ADB Ranked 67th out of 181 countries on the climate-vulnerability index. Already warmed by ≈2.2 °C between 1940–2015. A 7 % decline in annual rainfall. Key Sectors at risk: Decline in river flows and loss of ~600 lakes (≈7 % reduction in lake surface) from 2000-2015; glaciers have shrunk ~30 % since 1940. Expansion of arid/hyper-arid land cover; forest loss Drought-driven dust storms worsen respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and asthma. Poor and rural communities – especially herder households dependent on livestock and rain-fed agriculture – are most exposed and have least capacity to adapt. 19

20. 20

21. 21

22. 22

23. 23

24. 24

25. 25

26. Uptake of Cancer Screening: Female Vs Male Female Male

27. Cancer Screening uptake rates among female

28. INTERGENERATIONAL INEQUITIES IN THE HEALTH BURDEN OF CUMULATIVE LIFETIME EXPOSURE TO EXTREME HEAT IN JAPAN 28

29. 29 29 Prefecture specific Effects of Extreme Heat Days on YLL - Japan

30. Result: Intergenerational Inequity 30 Birth Cohort Estimates RR Lower 95% CI Upper 95% CI p value 1892-1896 -0.0005 1.00 0.99 1.01 0.91 1897-1901 0.0092 1.01 1.00 1.02 0.01 1902-1906 0.0175 1.02 1.01 1.02 <0.001 1907-1911 0.0243 1.02 1.02 1.03 <0.001 1912-1916 0.0296 1.03 1.02 1.04 <0.001 1917-1921 0.0343 1.03 1.03 1.04 <0.001 1922-1926 0.0377 1.04 1.03 1.04 <0.001 1927-1931 0.0407 1.04 1.04 1.05 <0.001 1932-1936 0.0441 1.05 1.04 1.05 <0.001 1937-1941 0.0472 1.05 1.04 1.05 <0.001 1942-1946 0.0497 1.05 1.05 1.06 <0.001 1947-1951 0.0519 1.05 1.05 1.06 <0.001 1952-1956 0.0534 1.05 1.05 1.06 <0.001

31. Result: Intergenerational Inequity 31

32. Exposure Response Curves by Generation 32

33. Exposure Response Curves by Generation 33

34. Conclusion The health impacts of climate change are unavoidable, but their severity is not. Climate-health risks are multi-dimensional: spanning heat stress, respiratory illnesses, nutrition, mental health, and more. These impacts are unequally distributed, hitting children, the elderly, women, and marginalized communities the hardest. Timely, targeted interventions can substantially reduce these health burdens from emission reductions to local adaptation and resilient health systems. The challenge is urgent, but mitigation and adaptation offer a real opportunity to protect lives and promote health equity. 34

35. THANK YOU Any questions: 35