Climate and Health Outlook – August 2023

Produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE), the Climate and Health Outlook is an effort to inform health professionals and the public on how our health may be affected in the coming month(s) by climate events and to provide resources for proactive action. An associated web page includes additional resources and information, including more detail on the wildfire and drought outlooks and populations at risk.

This edition explores the climate-related health hazards of extreme heat, wildfire, drought, and hurricanes, as well as West Nile virus. Given the extreme heat and wildfires we’ve seen this summer, this edition also explains the meaning of the increasingly discussed term “Wet Bulb globe temperature," medications that can increase the risk of heat-related illness, and important measures to prevent heat-related illness for outdoor workers. 

Several partners provided invaluable information, expertise, and data for this outlook series, including the Administration for Children and Families; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health; Department of Agriculture; Environmental Protection Agency; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Climate Prediction Center, National Centers for Environmental Information, National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center, National Integrated Drought Information System, National Integrated Heat Health Information System, and National Water Center; National Interagency Fire Center; Bureau of Land Management; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; United States Geological Survey; the California Air Resources Board; the Oregon Health Authority; the San Mateo County Health Department; the USA National Phenology Network; Atlanta Allergy & Asthma; and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.