HHS is establishing the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity

It’s official! The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced the creation of the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE). This is the first office of its kind at the national level to address climate change and health equity, and was created in response to President Joe Biden’s Executive Order Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The mission of this new Office is to protect vulnerable communities who disproportionately bear the brunt of pollution and climate-driven disasters, such as drought and wildfires, at the expense of public health.

The Consortium welcomes this new Office and the role it will play in building expertise within HHS on climate, health, and equity. We are beyond pleased that our former adviser, Dr. John Balbus, has been appointed interim head of OCCHE and look forward to seeing the country on a path to increasing the capacity to address the health harms of climate change and awareness of the health benefits that come with climate solutions.

Thanks to @POTUS and @SecBecerra for the commitment of HHS to #ACTNow.

READ THE FULL HHS PRESS RELEASE>