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Evaluation ViewAttendees 23
APA SIG

Emergency Medicine

Environmental Health

General Pediatrics

Global Neonatal & Children's Health

Immigrant Health

Public Health
Session Type: APA SIG

APA SIG: Global Health - Climate Change, Disasters, and Refugees: How Children are Affected by a Changing World

Monday, May 6, 2024
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET
Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre: 712
CE: Live CME: 1.5

Disclosure(s):
Meghan E. Hofto, MD, MPH: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Rachel Hildebrand, DO: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.

Session

Description: Climate change has been linked to a number of different disasters and “once in a century” events around the world. Increasing temperatures can lead to droughts as well as increased storm intensity and flooding. Wildfires and heat waves have been worsening annually. Children are more vulnerable to the impact of these disasters than the general population. Their developing bodies are more susceptible to heat and poor air quality; faster respiratory rates increase exposure to air pollutants and lead to higher rates of asthma and other respiratory conditions. Children are more likely to become ill from contaminated water and are more likely to come into contact with insects carrying infection (and be sicker from those infections). Disruption in nutrition from drought or flooding can lead to malnutrition and stunting. Mental health can suffer from repeated disasters. Disasters can also lead to displacement, either internally in their country of origin, or externally as refugees to other countries. The Red Cross has estimated there are more environmental refugees than political refugees; environmental refugees lack protection from international laws making them especially vulnerable.
This year at PAS, the Global Health SIG is bringing together a group of experts to discuss the effect of climate change on children, looking specifically at climate change leading to disasters. We will also explore how those disasters can lead to displacement as environmental refugees, using Pakistan as an example. Finally, we’ll evaluate the effect of relocation as an environmental refugee to a high income country.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss how climate change can fuel disasters globally
  • Identify how disasters can lead to both internal and external displacement of populations
  • Understand how disasters and displacements affect children’s health

Presentations:

  • 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM ET
    The Impact of Climate Change on Disasters

    Speaker: Shana Godfred-Cato, DO, FAAP (she/her/hers) – University of Utah School of Medicine

  • 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM ET
    Disasters and displacement: The effect of disasters on children

    Speaker: Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, MB,BS, PhD – The Hospital for Sick Children

  • 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET
    Environmental refugees in High Income Countries

    Speaker: Anna Banerji, MD MPH FRCPC FAAP DTM&H CTropMed (she/her/hers) – University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine