Question Period Note: Climate Change and Health

• The Government of Canada is working to build resiliency to the impacts of climate change on health and the health system.

• The Government of Canada is committed to taking action to protect the health of people in Canada from the impacts of climate change.
• The Government of Canada is working with partners to address the health impacts of climate change through the National Adaptation Strategy and Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan, which includes up to $43 million in new federal funding to advance efforts to protect health from extreme heat and build climate resilient and low-carbon health systems.
IF PRESSED ON WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT WILDFIRES
• Last year, the Health Portfolio worked effectively with federal partners to support provincial/territorial (PT) and local responses during the wildfire season.
• The Portfolio is preparing early for the upcoming wildfire season, holding portfolio-wide planning meetings to prepare for the wildfire season, updating public health guidance documents, and providing support to PTs and Indigenous Services Canada on wildfire smoke health effects and ways to reduce exposure.
• Health Canada is equipped to respond to emergency requests for air quality monitoring assistance and can provide guidance to PTs on the use of small sensors, data interpretation and health messaging during wildfire smoke events.
IF PRESSED ON WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HEALTH PORTFOLIO ON WILDFIRES
• The Health Portfolio is responsible for developing public health guidance, conducting surveillance, providing public health surge capacity, and, through the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile, responding to requests for assistance for surge assets such as cots, blankets, and masks.
• Through its Air Quality Program, the Health Portfolio provides air quality monitoring surge capacity and leads the development of messaging related to the impacts of wildfire smoke on air quality and health, including the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI).

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called climate change the biggest global public health threat of the 21st century. People in Canada are already feeling the effects of climate change on their health, including from severe events like heatwaves, wildfires, floods and droughts and the expansion of infectious diseases including vector-borne diseases, like Lyme disease, into Canada.

In June 2023, the Government of Canada released the final National Adaptation Strategy (NAS) and supporting Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan (GOCAAP). The Strategy lays out an agreed-upon framework to reduce the risk of climate-related disasters, improve health outcomes, protect nature and biodiversity, build and maintain resilient infrastructure, and support a strong economy and workers.

To implement the NAS and GOCAAP Health Canada will invest up to $43 million over the next five years (2023-24 to 2027-28) to fund programs that will support the health sector and people in Canada to adapt to a changing climate. These investments will help protect individuals from existing and emerging health risks caused by climate change and build health systems that adapt and adjust to our changing climate. For example, this includes supporting resilient and low-carbon health systems that can respond to the health risks posed by the changing climate such as extreme heat. Through the framework of the National Adaptation Strategy, Health Canada will renew and expand existing health programs, including the HealthADAPT program and efforts to protect the health of people in Canada from extreme heat, including extreme indoor heat which is the greatest cause of heat-related injuries and death in Canada. These initiatives address the health effects of climate change and advance actions to protect the population from extreme heat, a growing and urgent health risk.

• Climate change is already negatively impacting the health of people in Canada and the health systems they rely on.
• In June 2023, the Government of Canada launched the National Adaptation Strategy. The Strategy is supported by the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan.
• To implement the Strategy and Plan, the federal government announced $42.9M to Health Canada over five years (2023-24 to 2027-28) to fund programs that will support the health sector and people in Canada to adapt to a changing climate.