Climate Change

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Climate Change Healthcare Organization
Sri Lankas perspective
Neelamani Rajapaksa Hewageegana Sarath Samarage

• 2008 Global Ministerial Forum
• on Research for Health
• - Bamako - 17-19 November 2008 -

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Country Description
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Sri Lanka

• 20 M population
• 62,705 Sq km
• Adult Literacy rate 90.7
• Life expectancy at Birth 76.4-Female
• 71.7-Male
• Population growth Rate 1.1
• Total fertility rate 1.9
• Human Development index 0.743

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Vital Statistics

• Crude Birth rate 18.7 per population
• Neonatal Mortality rate 8.4 per 1,000 live births
• Infant Mortality rate 11.7 per 1,000 live births
• Maternal Mortality rate 14.3 per 100,000 live
  births
• (data Annual Health Bulletin 2006)

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The information flow of the notifiable diseases
of Sri Lanka
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Responding to climate change and health

• Major Activities in epidemiology
• 1.Disease surveillance (communicable and
  non-communicable diseases)2.Planning,
  monitoring and evaluation of the Expanded
  Programme on Immunization 3.Control of
  diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory
  infections4. Control of dengue haemorrhagic
  fever, Japanese encephalitis and
  rubella5.Planning, monitoring and evaluation of
  the new, emerging and re-emerging iseases (NERD)
• Establishment of epidemic
  preparedness, rapid response teams at central
  and divisional levels
• 6.Providing feed back on selected communicable
  diseases 7.Conduct research activities relevant
  to epidemiology

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Leading Causes of Hospitalization, 2006 SL
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Diarrhoea associated withFloods and Drought

• Aggravate the problem of access to safe drinking
  water
• Contaminated water supplies.
• Poor hygiene, and increased risk of illness.

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Vector dynamics with respect to to climate change

• Vector-borne diseases (Malaria, Filariasis,
  Chikun Gunya, Dengue, Japanese Encephalitis,Leptos
  pirosis)
• Premises Index
• Container Index
• Breatue Index

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Climate change and Health

• Increased accidents due to Lightning and
  Tornadoes
• Increased Road Traffic Accidents
• Psychological problems
• Loss of income
• loss or displaced family members

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The way forward

• Research on climate change related health issues
  
• Improve health surveillance systems to allow
  assessment of the impact of climate variability
  and change on health
• to facilitate better integration of data sets
  across sectors
• review and redistribute the existing roles and
  responsibilities of the community health worker
  the PHM and PHI in Sri Lanka

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Thank you.