EVENTS

Webinar Details:

Title:

Climate Change and Invasive Vector-Borne Diseases: How will climate change impact the risk of invasive vectors within Hawaiʻi, and how can we strengthen our public health systems to prevent the future burden of vector-borne diseases?

Webinar Description:

In this webinar, the speakers will explore current and future climate-related risk factors associated with invasive vectors and vector-borne diseases in Hawaiʻi. They will discuss how temperature and precipitation changes may influence the distribution of invasive vectors across Hawaiʻi, and examine the heightened risk of vector-borne diseases being introduced to Hawaiʻi due to climate-induced changes in global infection rates. The webinar will also highlight the proactive measures that are being taken by the Department of Health’s Vector Control Branch in response to suspected cases of vector-borne diseases, and whether they are travel-related or locally acquired, such as dengue fever.

Speaker details:

Matt Kurano is the Administrator of the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH), Environmental Health Services Division (EHSD), and acting Program Manager of the HDOH Vector Control Branch. Matt has been with HDOH for 20 years as an Environmental Health Specialist, Water Pollution Control Enforcement Supervisor, Vector Control Branch Chief and most recently as the EHSD Administrator. Matt’s focus is to strengthen HDOH’s environmental programs to protect Hawaii’s people from current and emerging threats to public health. Matt received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and minor in Biology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

James McCallen is the Climate Change & Health Coordinator for the Hawaiʻi Dept. of Health. He also facilitates the Climate Change & Health Working Group, a growing initiative that collaborates across sectors and communities to strengthen Hawaiʻi’s public health resiliency in response to our changing climate. James earned his MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with a focus on the intersection of climate change and health.

Dr. Jeomhee Hasty is a researcher and the state Vector Control Entomologist for the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health.