Public Health Protection Priorities in the Russian Federation under Climate Change

Priority tasks of the National Plan of Adaptation to Climate Change in public health sector and other public management sectors have been identified in the present study, along with the directions for further scientific research of health in a changing climate, and considering climatic features of various regions of the Russian Federation. The priority tasks included the following: establishing the threshold values for high ambient temperatures on the basis of health risk assessment, including risks to mental health; monitoring the content of allergenic plant pollen and the prevalence of allergic diseases; developing preventive measures (e.g., optimal work and rest schedules) for those who work outdoors and indoors at abnormally high temperatures; and improving the system of epidemiological surveillance of climate-dependent infectious diseases, including the organization of microbiological monitoring of permafrost soils. Special adaptation plans are needed for indigenous minority peoples of the Arctic.