The Oregon Health Authority has turned its focus toward climate change and the expected effects that pollution, drought and a curtailed food supply will have on public health.

The authority released its Oregon Climate and Health Resilience Plan on Thursday, outlining its strategy to help educate and collaborate with other agencies and local officials.

"It's not just the polar bears that we need to be worried about," said Emily York, manager of the climate and health program at the authority. Climate change "is also affecting people."

In 2015, Oregon had its warmest year and lowest snowpack on record. It also had one of its most severe fire seasons ever, with drought emergencies in 24 counties. Then last year, the state was declared a major national disaster area for damage from storms, floods and landslides.

Oregon isn't prepared to cope with the fallout, with an expected uptick in patients suffering from allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems, a proliferation of ticks and mosquitoes, a drop in water quality and supply.

Elderly people, pregnant women and children will be among the most vulnerable, York said.

Last September, the state was among 16 nationwide that received a grant from the federal Centers for Disease Prevention and Control to protect the public from the health effects of climate change.

The state has divided Oregon's pot -- $171,000 - into six grants of $28,500, giving one to the health authority, another to the North Central Health District in Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam counties, and the rest to Jackson, Benton, Crook and Multnomah counties.

• The state has used the money to help fund a study with the Oregon Department of Transportation on the effects of the storms in December, 2015. It has also created a training module for the Oregon Nurses Association, with another module planned.

• The health district will use its money to offer private well-water testing to landowners in areas that might be the most susceptible to climate change.

• Jackson County officials plan to create a public alert system warning about health effects from poor air quality.

York said the state's plan spans five years and that it hopes to develop other strategies to protect Oregonians from public health risks caused by climate change.

-- Lynne Terry

lterry@oregonian.com

@LynnePDX

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