Climate Change and Health

CCOUC climate change and health study group continued its endeavors to examine the health impact of climate change in Hong Kong, quantifying the associated health impact particularly on heart failure, asthma and hand, foot and mouth disease measured by mortality and hospital admissions data. The team has also secured a CUHK grant to produce and disseminate animations based on CCOUC’s research findings in this area, aiming at enhancing community awareness and capacity in mitigating the adverse effect of climate change on health. In addition to outcome-based biostatistics studies, CCOUC has established telephone study cohorts that track community experience in cold weather in the subtropical city to study temperature impact and outcomes of common symptoms, helpseeking behaviours, warning responsiveness, service utilization and costing pattern in the future. Following the coldest day since 1957 on 24 January 2016, CCOUC conducted a population-based cross-sectional telephone survey and successfully interviewed 1,017 residents in Hong Kong to examine the health effect of extreme cold temperature. Studies about co-benefits of health and environmental-friendly behaviours have also been actively undertaken, boosted by a funding recently secured from Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF). Some preliminary results are being displaced in the CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change.