How climate change impacts our health
Heart shape made with hands

Climate change is the single greatest challenge of the 21st century, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It is not limited to impacts on the environment but has direct and indirect effects on our health and everyday lives. The direct effects are many. Across the globe, extreme heat, rising sea levels, floods, droughts, and storms have already led to tens of thousands of deaths every year. The roots of the climate crisis are also exacerbating another public health issue, air pollution. It accounts for approximately seven million premature deaths worldwide every year and is a major risk factor for diseases, including heart disease, lung disease, and stroke.

Latest resources

25 Oct, 2023 -  In this blog, Dr Helen McAvoy, IPH Director of Policy, explores the UK government’s groundbreaking announcement to progressively raise the age of sale of tobacco.   What exactly is this new measure…
5 Oct, 2023 - The Institute of Public Health (IPH) hosted a special event on Wednesday, 4th October to mark it's 25th anniversary. Set up prior to the signing of the Good Friday / Belfast Agreement in 1998, IPH…
25 Sep, 2023 - This report presents views shared by stakeholders involved in the implementation of the Ten Year Tobacco Control Strategy in Northern Ireland (2012-2022). Stakeholder engagement was undertaken by…