There is growing awareness that climate change will place additional stress on the Canadian health sector. In recent years, numerous studies examining the relationships between climate change and health have shown that the effects of climate change will not be uniform, that they will interact with other stresses on health and the health sector, and that they may not be clearly localized. Although work has begun on developing mechanisms and frameworks to address these issues, there remain many research needs and knowledge gaps concerning both the potential impacts and our capacity to adapt.

Some research needs, as identified in the studies referenced in this chapter, include the following:

Impacts

1. Better understanding of whether and how climate change could make environmental conditions in southern Canada more favourable for the establishment or resurgence of infectious diseases
2. Studies on how climate change will affect the sustainability, health, safety and food supply of northern communities
3. Better understanding of the health effects of heat waves across Canada
4. Better understanding of the impacts of climate change on the safety and supply of drinking water for Canadian communities
5. Studies on how extreme climate events affect mental health and human behaviour

Adaptation

1. Examination of the factors that affect our current capacity to adapt, including physiological factors, psychological factors (e.g., knowledge, beliefs, attitudes), socio-economic factors, and the characteristics of health care systems
2. Progressive development and implementation of biological and health surveillance measures as adaptations to climate change
3. Further research into the development of preventative adaptation measures, such as the development of vaccines for emerging diseases and alert systems for extreme temperatures
4. Research on the role of emergency management and hazard prevention in reducing the negative health effects (both physical and psychological) of extreme climate events
5. Evaluation of the effectiveness and adequacy of existing measures that are likely to be proposed as possible adaptation tools, such as public health advisories (e.g., smog information, boil-water advisories, beach closings)