The E-CHANGE project has received FIS 2 funding from the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) to employ epidemiological methods in estimating the impact of climate change on human health.

Coordinated by the Department of Medical Sciences at the University of Turin, E-CHANGE stems from the need to better understand how and to what extent climate change is already affecting population health. It aims to develop new tools to assess this impact through a highly interdisciplinary approach involving epidemiology, biostatistics, molecular biology, and climate science.

Over the next three years, the project will pursue research lines aimed at investigating:

the short-term effects of extreme weather events—such as heatwaves, wildfires, and floods—on daily mortality in Italy;

the role of climatic conditions in the spread of vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus, dengue, and Lyme disease;

exposure to extreme weather events during pregnancy and childhood, assessing potential consequences for growth, respiratory health, and biological changes measurable through epigenetics.

Methodologically, E-CHANGE will utilize large climate, environmental, and health datasets, integrating national mortality data, infectious disease surveillance systems, and two major Italian mother-child cohorts - NINFEA and Piccolipiù - which track over 10,000 children from pregnancy through adolescence.

Integrating this data will also enable the creation of an interoperable infrastructure that can be used for future research into the relationship between the environment, climate, and health.