Climate change is driven by human activities as well as natural processes and results in global changes in the average humidity, precipitation patterns or temperature over time. Blood operators need to prepare for this looming threat to key key human health determinants including clean air, food supply, safe drinking water, and safe shelter. Global impacts could result in; migration due to resource scarcity or human security threats, resource-focused conflicts, and increasing frequencies of infectious diseases outbreaks.

This session will consider 1) How will climate change potentially impact on infectious diseases risks to the blood supply? and 2) How can blood operators begin to plan, prepare, and respond to these changing risks to the blood supply?

This session will identify the impact of climate change on human, animal, and disease vector behavior. Participants will review commonly described associations between climate change and changing vector-borne disease risks as well as impacts on other infectious diseases risks generated by changes in human behaviors. We will explore how climate change can lead to loss of wild animal and natural habitats by encroaching human development or natural disasters. Thus, leading to exposure to unusual environmental and infectious organisms. Additionally, we will contemplate how climate change impacts diverse donor populations. Participants will consider contingency plans to be able to respond to climate change impacts. Approaches on how to establish organizational memory and ensure that organizational leaders are aware of these contingency plans will be discussed.

Approaches identified in the session can be translated to other risks to blood operations. Individuals not primarily focused on infectious disease and microbiology may will also leave the session with approaches that can also be applied to contingency planning for other climate change-driven risks to the blood supply.

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Lyle Petersen

Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Appearances