IDPH to Host Summit on Climate Change and Public Health at UIC (Chicago, IL) – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will host a two-day summit in Chicago next week to address the growing impact of climate change and extreme weather on public health. The “Weather and Public Health Response Summit,” billed as the first event of its kind in the state, will take place November 12–13 at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Student Center West.
IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said the event comes at a critical moment, as communities face more frequent heat waves, floods, severe storms, and other climate-related threats.
“Climate change is already reshaping the health of our communities,” Vohra said in a statement. “It is a growing public health emergency that demands urgent, coordinated action. This summit brings together leaders and experts across Illinois to forge the partnerships, strategies, and systems we need to protect lives and build resilience in the face of extreme weather.”
The conference will bring together clinicians, emergency managers, public health officials, environmental experts, and community organizations. Sessions will focus on how extreme weather affects health outcomes and how agencies and health systems can better prepare and respond. Topic areas include medical care during severe weather, communicating during disasters, hazard mitigation, food safety in emergencies, climate-related health disparities, and the impact of extreme weather on children.
A featured panel, “Illinois Response to Severe Weather: A Director-Level Discussion,” will take place at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, November 13. It will include Vohra; Ted Berger of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security; James Jennings of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; and Kristi Jones, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
More details and a full schedule are available through the University of Illinois conference website.
IDPH to Host Summit on Climate Change and Public Health at UIC
