Lancet report reveals climate change means more illness and death for Canadians

In 2015, more than 7,000 Canadians died from chronic exposure to air pollution, according to a new study on the effects of climate change on health, and this is only the visible part of 'iceberg.

According to a Canadian presentation presented in the international report on climate change and health published by the Lancet Countdown 2018, Canadians could expect to have more allergies, heat stroke, respiratory illnesses like asthma, vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, as well as chronic air pollution.

"It's a blue code for the environment," said Dr. Courtney Howard, emergency physician and lead author of the Canadian report.

"It's a situation that requires an urgent response."

The report, released Wednesday night, recommends that all levels of government standardize methods for tracking heat-related illnesses and deaths, that climate change and health are part of the curriculum of medical schools, are phasing out the program. coal-fired electricity and apply carbon pricing as soon as possible. .

This is what the report says about the potential impact of climate change on the health of Canadians – and the effects that have already been observed.

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Heat-related deaths may increase

A prolonged heat wave was blamed on more than 90 deaths in Quebec in the summer of 2018 and experts predict new hot days.

"We know that heat is increasing in Canada," said Peter Berry, Senior Policy Analyst at Health Canada's Office of Innovation and Climate Change. Hot days, especially hot nights, mean that people can not calm down and are vulnerable to heat stress, heat stroke and even death, he said.

WATCH: Why did Quebec have so many heat-related deaths in July?

Health Canada has increased the number of heat alert systems across the country, he said, while developing a guide for health care workers on how to diagnose and diagnose. to treat heat-related illnesses.

Air pollution could cause more deaths and illnesses

The Lancet Report estimated that 7,142 deaths were attributable to air pollution, particularly particulate matter, in Canada in 2015. A November 2017 report by Health Canada indicated a slightly higher annual figure of about 9,500.

"Exposure to ambient air pollution, for example, increases the risk of premature mortality due to heart disease, stroke and lung cancer," reads the Health Report. Canada.

New diseases will be introduced in Canada

Lyme disease, virtually unknown in Canada many decades ago, has exploded in Canada recently. There were 144 cases in 2009 and 1,479 in 2017, according to data from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

WATCH: The number of cases of Lyme disease in Canada has increased ten-fold in less than a decade because of tick bites.

West Nile virus is also a good example of this type of disease, said Susan Elliott, a geography professor at the University of Waterloo.

And as these diseases become more common, doctors need to know how to recognize and treat them, she said. "We hear so many stories about people consulting their family doctor with symptoms of Lyme disease and who are not diagnosed for weeks or months because our doctors are not trained to recognize the symptoms. climate change impacts on health, such as Lyme. diseases and other infectious diseases. "

The seasons of allergy will increase

The allergy seasons for various allergens have already been longer in Canada. Data from Aerobiology Research, a company that measures pollen and provides forecasts to Weather Network and others, revealed that the birch pollen season had increased 60 days in Toronto between 2006 and 2017 , to give an example.

"You may not be allergic to ragweed today, but guess what, when the weather warms up, there will be more and more allergens in the environment and different types are going now flourish, which was not the case before, "Elliott said.

"We will see a significant increase in environmental allergies in Canada."

Disasters could lead to more mental health problems

Disasters such as forest fires and floods not only create immediate danger, they can also have a lasting impact on people who experience them, according to the report.

"You can imagine that if your house is destroyed, there are additional stressors on you," Howard said.

Researchers have found that people in the Northwest Territories region, who had experienced an intense forest fire season in 2014, experienced depression and even post-traumatic stress disorder following forest fires in 2016. prejudicial event on their mental well-being, as well as contributing to more emergency room visits for asthma because of the smoke.

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Some research has also suggested that people are more likely to have problematic substance use after a disaster.

Howard believes that Canadians are beginning to take all these dangers seriously.

"People see it in their daily lives. So I think it allows us to make that diagnosis ourselves more easily. "

She thinks Canada can always fix the problem. "If we combine our efforts and see this as a public health emergency and treat it as we treat other public health emergencies, it's a great opportunity for us to make real progress."