Partnerships
Climate change, and health and well-being issues are quite complex. Efforts to better understand the impacts of climate change on health require collaboration among experts from many scientific disciplines, and the development of effective adaptation strategies will involve a wide range of partners in the health and other sectors.
There are benefits for all Canadians from the better understanding of the risks to health and well-being from climate change and climate variability. This understanding can motivate us to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and to improve the quality of life.
In Canada, health and well-being issues are managed as a shared responsibility among health and social agencies, stakeholders and researchers at the community, provincial/territorial and federal levels.
As part of the federal plan on climate change, the Climate Change and Health Office leads and coordinates the Health Sector Network of the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network administered by Natural Resources Canada. This is done through Canada's Climate Change and Health Research Networks, which assist in the development of a foundation of interdisciplinary evidence on climate change and health issues and in exchanging this knowledge. They also help to ensure that our efforts directly reflect public health needs at the national, regional and community levels. Our research partners help to generate and to communicate scientific and traditional knowledge through university centres and institutes, and research funding agencies (e.g., Canadian Institutes of Health Research).
We work with public health organizations and public health officials in local communities who are responsible for developing and implementing a wide range of health policies. This includes medical officers of health, and representatives of the provincial and the territorial Ministries of Health.
We also work with a variety of groups and organizations that deliver health and environment services in local communities.
Since climate change and climate variability pose problems for all countries, and will affect the health of people around the world, Health Canada has established international partnerships with organizations such as, the World Health Organization.
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