A Climate for Change

(^90) Health Impacts Human Development Report - Croatia 2008
Health Impacts
Chapter 6 Summary
Respondents to the public opinion poll discussed in Chapter 2 identified health impacts
as a major concern regarding climate change. Already, events such as heat waves, which
are likely to increase in frequency due to future climate change, have had an impact on
Croatians. The 2003 heat wave caused an estimated 185 additional deaths in Croatia, a
4.3% increase in mortality. Therefore, it is very likely that climate change will have an im-
pact on human health in Croatia.
The future health risks of climate change in Croatia are not fully understood. However,
they are likely to include cardiovascular risks from heat waves, increases in allergic reac-
tions resulting from changing pollen counts and changes in the distribution periods of
plants/ pollens and increased frequencies of heat stroke and other acute impacts from hot
daytime temperatures. Health impacts such as an increase in the vector-borne illnesses
carried by mosquitoes (e.g. malaria), birds (West Nile fever) and other organisms; water
borne diseases; and increased bacteria growth in food may also emerge. The tiger mos-
quito has already migrated into parts of Croatia, raising some concern about the possible
spread of disease. However, climate change may also have some positive impacts in Croa-
tia, including decreased death rates during winter months.
Adapting to the health impacts of climate change already appears to be necessary. Each
country must strengthen its health system’s preparations for changes in climate as well as
the capability to respond. Numerous stakeholders must be involved in the effort to ad-
dress the health-related effects of climate change.
Some actions are already underway in Croatia – including bioweather forecasts that high-
light pollen counts and other pollutants, heat warnings by the DHMZ and initial conversa-
tions among the major institutions about establishing systems to cope with heat-waves.
However, more information is needed to effectively address existing and future risks. Data
on the incidence of infectious and chronic diseases and of sickness and daily death rates
are needed to assess the scope of current problems in Croatia and to adjust policies ac-
cordingly.