Climate Change and Human Health

How Climate Change Affects Human Health

Climate change poses many threats to the health and well-being of Americans. This includes increasing the risk of extreme heat events and heavy storms, increasing the risk of asthma attacks and changing the spread of certain diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes. Some of these health impacts are already happening in the United States. Climate change can exacerbate existing health threats or create new public health challenges through a variety of pathways. 

The Climate Change and Health Pathway figure summarizes these connections by linking climate impacts to changes in exposure, which can then lead to negative effects on health (health outcomes). This figure also shows how other factors such as where people live and their age, health, income, or ability to access health care resources can positively or negatively influence people’s vulnerability to human health effects. 

Climate Change and Health Pathway

Diagram connecting these squares: "Environmental and Institutional Context: Land-use change, Ecosystem change, infrastructure condition, geography, agricultural production and livestock use" "Climate Impacts: Increased temperatures, precipitation extremes, extreme weather, events, sea level rise" "Exposure: Extreme heat, poor air quality, reduced food and water quality, changes in infectious agents, population displacement." "Health outcomes: Heat-related illness, cardiopulmonary illness, food-, water-, vector-borne disease, Mental health consequences and stress." "Social and behavioral context: age and gender, race and ethnicity, poverty, housing and infrastructure, education, discrimination, access to care and community health infrastructure, pre-exisiting health conditions." Figure 1. Climate Change and Health Pathways Web
Figure 1. Climate Change and Health Pathway, based on the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s 2016 Climate and Health Assessment, shows how climate change can affect people by changing their exposure to health threats (moving from top to bottom) and by influencing the environmental, institutional, social, and behavioral factors that affect a person’s or community’s health (moving through the boxes on the sides).  

This web area includes information about who is most at risk and what people and the EPA are doing to address climate and health impacts.  

  • Who’s Most at Risk?

    Child using a rescue inhaler.

    Certain groups are at more risk than others due to both climate and non-climate factors.

    See who is most susceptible

  • What Can We Do?

    Two people wearing gloves pat down mulch around a newly planted tree.

    There are many things we can do to protect people’s health from the impacts of climate change.

    Read about strategies

  • How is EPA helping?

    Coastline along a rocky beach

    EPA is supporting communities by helping them deliver critical resources even as the climate changes.

    Learn about EPA's resources

EPA Resources about Climate and Health

  • EPA's 2023 Climate Change and Children's Health Report quantifies projected health effects to children from climate change. The report considers factors such as extreme heat, air quality, changing seasons, flooding, and infectious diseases.
  • EPA’s 2021 Social Vulnerability Report examines the health impacts of air quality and extreme temperature on four socially vulnerable populations. It also analyzes the impacts of high temperature days on workers.
  • The Understanding the Connections Between Climate Change and Human Health resource highlights key connections from the U.S. Global Change Research Program 2016 report The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment.
  • The Climate Change Indicators: Health and Society look at some of the ways that climate change is affecting human health and society, including changes in Lyme disease, West Nile virus, ragweed pollen season, and heat- and cold-related deaths and hospitalizations.

Additional Resources about Climate and Health

Climate Change Impacts

Contact Us about Climate Change Impacts
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Last updated on January 7, 2025