the lancet report underscores the health risks of global heating, pointing to the heat dome that settled over british columbia in summer 2021 as an example.
the heat dome, which caused more than 600 deaths in b.c., would have been “virtually impossible” without the influence of climate change, the peer-reviewed report says.
the canadian policy brief says the health-care system has the potential to increase resilience to such extreme heat and other climate-related health risks, but it’s far from ready, especially given the covid-19 pandemic.
it says heat waves may increase the number of emergency room visits by 10 to 15 per cent, further straining health-care capacity and reducing quality of care.
in alberta, hackett said she sees patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or copd, during periods of air pollution from wildfire smoke.
both hackett and petrin-desrosiers said they’re also concerned about the effects of climate change on mental health, having seen evidence of increasing instances of post-traumatic stress disorder following extreme weather events, such as flooding.
that’s worrying, petrin-desrosiers said, because access to mental health care in the public system is already lacking, with long waiting lists across the country.
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