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There is growing evidence of climate change affecting infectious disease risk in Western Europe. The call for effective adaptation to this challenge becomes increasingly stronger. This paper presents the results of a survey exploring Dutch expert perspectives on adaptation responses to climate change impacts on infectious disease risk in Western Europe. Additionally, the survey explores the expert sample’s prioritization of mitigation and adaptation, and expert views on the willingness and capacity of relevant actors to respond to climate change. An integrated view on the causation of infectious disease risk is employed, including multiple (climatic and non-climatic) factors. The results show that the experts consider some adaptation responses as relatively more cost-effective, like fostering interagency and community partnerships, or beneficial to health, such as outbreak investigation and response. Expert opinions converge and diverge for different adaptation responses. Regarding the prioritization of mitigation and adaptation responses expert perspectives converge towards a 50/50 budgetary allocation. The experts consider the national government/health authority as the most capable actor to respond to climate change-induced infectious disease risk. Divergence and consensus among expert opinions can influence adaptation policy processes. Further research is necessary to uncover prevailing expert perspectives and their roots, and compare these.
Su-Mia Akin; Pim Martens; Maud M.T.E. Huynen. Climate Change and Infectious Disease Risk in Western Europe: A Survey of Dutch Expert Opinion on Adaptation Responses and Actors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2015, 12, 9726 -9749.
AMA StyleSu-Mia Akin, Pim Martens, Maud M.T.E. Huynen. Climate Change and Infectious Disease Risk in Western Europe: A Survey of Dutch Expert Opinion on Adaptation Responses and Actors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2015; 12 (8):9726-9749.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSu-Mia Akin; Pim Martens; Maud M.T.E. Huynen. 2015. "Climate Change and Infectious Disease Risk in Western Europe: A Survey of Dutch Expert Opinion on Adaptation Responses and Actors." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 12, no. 8: 9726-9749.
Climate change is considered to be a significant influence for infectious disease risk in Western Europe. Climatic and non-climatic developments act together resulting in current and future infectious disease risk. This study uses a survey to explore Dutch expert perspectives on climate change induced infectious disease risk. The results show that the experts consider temperature change, precipitation change, humidity change, and climate change induced habitat change to be relatively important for water-related infectious disease risk, vector-borne disease risk excluding zoonoses, and the risk of zoonoses. The climatic drivers are seen as relatively less important for food-related infectious disease risk. The experts rate many non-climatic drivers to be highly important for infectious disease risk. Comparatively, the majority of the non-climatic drivers assessed are seen as more important than climate change drivers. The degree of uncertainty in the future development of climatic drivers is viewed as moderate to high, and for non-climatic drivers mostly as moderate. An analysis of subsamples based on professional backgrounds reveals differences in experts’ opinions for e.g., socio-cultural drivers, and similarities. Diversity and consensus amongst expert perspectives on climate change and infectious diseases can have implications for policy. Further research to uncover and compare prevailing perspectives is necessary.
Su-Mia Akin; Pim Martens. A Survey of Dutch Expert Opinion on Climatic Drivers of Infectious Disease Risk in Western Europe. Climate 2014, 2, 310 -328.
AMA StyleSu-Mia Akin, Pim Martens. A Survey of Dutch Expert Opinion on Climatic Drivers of Infectious Disease Risk in Western Europe. Climate. 2014; 2 (4):310-328.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSu-Mia Akin; Pim Martens. 2014. "A Survey of Dutch Expert Opinion on Climatic Drivers of Infectious Disease Risk in Western Europe." Climate 2, no. 4: 310-328.
Su-Mia Akin; Reina Pasma; Pim Martens. Environmental Literacy in Science and Society: From Knowledge to Decisions. Environmental Science & Policy 2012, 18, 1 -2.
AMA StyleSu-Mia Akin, Reina Pasma, Pim Martens. Environmental Literacy in Science and Society: From Knowledge to Decisions. Environmental Science & Policy. 2012; 18 ():1-2.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSu-Mia Akin; Reina Pasma; Pim Martens. 2012. "Environmental Literacy in Science and Society: From Knowledge to Decisions." Environmental Science & Policy 18, no. : 1-2.
It is clear that globalization is something more than a purely economic phenomenon manifesting itself on a global scale. Among the visible manifestations of globalization are the greater international movement of goods and services, financial capital, information and people. In addition, there are technological developments, more transboundary cultural exchanges, facilitated by the freer trade of more differentiated products as well as by tourism and immigration, changes in the political landscape and ecological consequences. In this paper, we link the Maastricht Globalization Index with health indicators to analyse if more globalized countries are doing better in terms of infant mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, and adult mortality rate. The results indicate a positive association between a high level of globalization and low mortality rates. In view of the arguments that globalization provides winners and losers, and might be seen as a disequalizing process, we should perhaps be careful in interpreting the observed positive association as simple evidence that globalization is mostly good for our health. It is our hope that a further analysis of health impacts of globalization may help in adjusting and optimising the process of globalization on every level in the direction of a sustainable and healthy development for all.
Pim Martens; Su-Mia Akin; Huynen Maud; Raza Mohsin. Is globalization healthy: a statistical indicator analysis of the impacts of globalization on health. Globalization and Health 2010, 6, 16 -16.
AMA StylePim Martens, Su-Mia Akin, Huynen Maud, Raza Mohsin. Is globalization healthy: a statistical indicator analysis of the impacts of globalization on health. Globalization and Health. 2010; 6 (1):16-16.
Chicago/Turabian StylePim Martens; Su-Mia Akin; Huynen Maud; Raza Mohsin. 2010. "Is globalization healthy: a statistical indicator analysis of the impacts of globalization on health." Globalization and Health 6, no. 1: 16-16.