Climate change and its influence on human health

John Balbus, MD, MPH, Senior Advisor for Public Health for the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), will discuss the significant public health threats and opportunities presented by climate change and the way children around the globe could be affected. Dr. Balbus will show the keynote lecture, “Putting a Human Face On Climate Change: A Public Health Perspective,” at 5 p.m. PT, Saturday, May 1, for the 2010 Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) opening general session on the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre in British Columbia, Canada.

“Studies telling us how the health of our planet and also the health of individuals, especially our youngsters, are tied together,” said Dr. Balbus. “As the long-term health threats from future climate change might be severe, the immediate health benefits could possibly be substantial if we take effective actions to lessen the extent of climate change. Efforts to lessen climate pollution as an example, may also help provide healthier air for our kids to breathe.”

Board-certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine, Dr. Balbus received his AB degree in Biochemistry from Harvard University, his MD from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MPH from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr. Balbus founded the Center for Risk Science and Public Health on the George Washington University School of Public Health. There he practiced clinical occupational and environmental medicine as an associate professor. Prior to joining NIEHS, Dr. Balbus was the chief health scientist for the non-profit organization Environmental Defense Fund.

Much better EPA Science Advisory Board, Dr. Balbus has served being a member of the National Research Council’s Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, the Institute of Medicine’s Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research and Medicine, and also the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee.

Reporters needing to interview Dr. Balbus should call the PAS Press Office at 778-331-7694. Reporters who would like to attend the speech must first check in on the PAS Press Office in the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre to receive press credentials.

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics