Taking a Climate and Health History - A One Health-Informed Approach to Primary Care and Services

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel

Climate change poses the greatest public health threat, disproportionately harming communities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries through fragile health systems that heighten vulnerability. Clinical practice often neglects climate-related risks, and existing methods remain siloed across disciplines and care settings. The manuscript proposes practical guidance to integrate a One Health-informed climate and health history into routine primary care encounters, emphasizing heat exposure and the roles of physicians and other providers alongside three CHW categories across the care continuum.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Climate change and public health impacts

One Health framework for clinical care

Gaps in climate-related history-taking

Role of community health workers in primary care

Taking a Climate and Health History: A One HealthInformed Approach to Primary Care and Services FIROZ ABDOEL WAHID MAUREEN LICHTVELD SAMANTHA TOTONI BRIAN EARLE *Author affiliations can be found in the back matter of this article ABSTRACT Climate change poses the greatest public health threat, disproportionately impacting communities in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) where fragile health systems increase vulnerability. Despite this, clinical practice often overlooks climate-related health risks. Current approaches focus on single disciplines or settings, limiting broader integration. Incorporating a One Health approach—recognizing the interconnection of human, animal, environmental, and plant health—into routine clinical encounters offers a pathway to strengthen climate-health awareness. This manuscript presents practical guidance for integrating climate and health histories, with a focus on heat exposure, and emphasizes the role of physicians, other health providers and three categories of Community Health Workers (CHWs) across the care continuum. A case study illustrateshow targeted climate and environmental inquiries during history-taking can advance diagnosis and patient education. Embedding One Health in clinical care bridges existing gaps, enhances early detection of climate-related illness, and promotes culturally sensitive, holistic health interventions in vulnerable communities. VIEWPOINTS CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Maureen Lichtveld University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA [mlichtve@pitt.edu](mlichtve@pitt.edu) KEYWORDS: climate and health history, one health, primary care services, community health workers TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Abdoel Wahid F, Lichtveld M, Totoni S, Earle B. Taking a Climate and Health History: A One Health-Informed Approach to Primary Care and Services. Annals of Global Health. 2026; 92(1): 2, 1– 9. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.5334/](https://doi.org/10.5334/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.5334/)[aogh.4898](aogh.4898) BACKGROUND Climate change is widely recognized as a fundamental threat to public health [ 1]. Addressing this challenge requires an urgent and holistic approach from healthcare providers and other health professionals. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), as well as the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, identified numerous health impacts associated with climate change, including heat stress, cardiovascular and respiratory distress, vector-borne diseases, zoonoses, waterborne and water-related diseases, malnutrition, and mental health challenges related to stress and trauma [2, 3] . These impacts can be grouped into four overarching themes posing the most urgent threats: infectious disease, extreme heat, food and water safety and security, and poor air quality [4] . Each threat may be associated with mental health challenges. Populations at disproportionate risk include older adults, infantsand children, pregnant individuals, people with chronic diseases, outdoor workers, people with disabilities, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, and those living in poverty or informal settlements. Recognizing these inequities is essential for guiding adaptation and mitigation strategies in clinical and community settings [3]. Climate change affects people differently across the lifespan. Climate change creates distinct risks across the lifespan—from prenatal vulnerability to heat and pollution, through childhood susceptibility due to immature physiology, to adolescent mental health and heat-stress risks. Working-age adults often face occupational exposures, while older adults are more affected by chronic illness and limited mobility [5] . While recognizing these age-specific vulnerabilities is essential, this article will focus on adults. One Health is a collaborative, transdisciplinary approach recognizing that the health of people is inextricably connecte

FAQs

Why does climate change require a different approach in clinical practice?

Climate change drives major health threats, but routine care often overlooks climate-related risks. The article argues that integration is needed beyond single-discipline or single-setting approaches.

What is the One Health approach applied in this manuscript?

One Health is described as a transdisciplinary framework linking human, animal, plant, and shared environmental health. In clinical encounters, it supports attention to environmental and animal exposure factors during history-taking.

How are community health workers used to support primary care integration?

In Low- and Middle-Income Countries, embedding community health workers on the frontline is presented as a practical pathway. The manuscript references a framework that categorizes CHWs by training, setting, and scope of practice, and connects them to the care continuum.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Mabel