An increasing amount of research underscores the serious health risks associated with climate change. Yet, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) appears poised to curtail funding for such critical research initiatives. This development was first reported by ProPublica, which gained access to internal documents on Monday.
NIH issued guidance to its staff last week that suggests a halt to additional funding for new academic projects examining the health impacts of climate change, ProPublica reports. The extent to which this directive will influence ongoing grants remains unclear. This announcement comes on the heels of a report from Mother Jones, which detailed that the Department of Health and Human Services had suspended financial support for three existing climate-related health programs at NIH. One of these is the Climate Change and Health Initiative, established in 2021, which funded crucial research addressing the health consequences of wildfires, heat stress, and vector-borne diseases.
“This is a direct attack on our health, on the science that keeps us protected.”
Public health advocates express concern that these decisions could undermine efforts to safeguard citizens against increasingly severe weather events and other climate-related disasters.
“This is a direct attack on our health, on the science that keeps us protected,” said Juan Declet-Barreto, a Bilingual Senior Social Scientist focused on Climate Vulnerability at the Union of Concerned Scientists, in a statement to Technology News.
A recent policy brief from health journal The Lancet highlights that children born in 2024 will likely face “worsening air quality, increased temperatures, and persistent social and community upheaval” due to climate change.
For instance, smog develops when air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds interact in sunlight. Warmer, sunnier days accelerate this reaction, leading to greater smog formation across the United States as global temperatures rise. Declet-Barreto notes that extreme heat is already identified as the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S., with climate change exacerbating heatwaves, storms, and flooding. Exposure to both smog and extended heat can significantly impair respiratory health and worsen existing conditions like asthma or COPD, reflecting just a portion of the myriad ways climate change impacts human health.
Emily Hilliard, deputy press secretary for HHS, commented in an email to Technology News that, “HHS is taking action to terminate research funding that is not aligned with NIH and HHS priorities. At HHS, we are dedicated to restoring our agencies to their tradition of upholding gold-standard, evidence-based science.”
Extensive research establishes that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels drive climate change. Despite this, former President Donald Trump has consistently labeled climate change as a hoax, advocating for increased fossil fuel extraction while accepting significant contributions from the oil and gas sector. Since taking office, he has swiftly moved to slash funding for clean energy initiatives and climate policies, prompting concerns from experts who warn these actions jeopardize public health.
