Climate Change A Threat To Human Health
The World Health Organization estimates that a quarter of the world’s disease burden is due to the contamination of air, water, soil and food — particularly from respiratory infections and diarrhea diseases. Is Climate Change A Threat To Human Health? This article highlights some climate-sensitive impacts to human health.
Climate change is increasingly recognized as one of the greatest threats to human health of the 21st century, with consequences for mental- and physical health impacts. While physical health impacts such as thermal-related morbidity and mortality due to extreme temperatures, effects associated with air pollution, impacts of extreme weather events, malnutrition, water-borne (e.g. diarrhea, cholera, typhoid) and vector-borne diseases (e.g. malaria, dengue), have been increasingly emphasized in literature and practice, but recent scholarly literature indicates that climate change and related weather events and environmental changes can profoundly impact psychological well-being and mental health through both direct and indirect pathways, particularly among those with pre-existing vulnerabilities or those living in ecologically sensitive areas.
Although knowledge is still limited about the connections between climate change and mental health, evidence is indicating that impacts may be felt at both the individual and community levels, with mental health outcomes ranging from psychological distress, depression and anxiety, to increased addictions and suicide rates.
The increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme temperatures will have both direct and indirect effects on health. Direct effects include thermal stresses (cardio-vascular and respiratory diseases, heat exhaustion, heat cramps and dehydration), while indirect effects are related to the impact of heat extremes on urban air pollution and humidity (which can aggravate pre-existing morbidity). The risk of heat-related morbidity and mortality would increase mainly in the elderly, children, those with pre-existing cardio-vascular and respiratory diseases, and among the urban poor. However, potentially hundreds of millions of people could be a risk from increased morbidity or mortality resulting from climate change. Infectious diseases may become more prevalent as their reach increases and seasonality expands; the frequency and intensity of heat waves and natural hazards such as droughts, floods, and cyclones may increase, causing adverse health effects; and levels of air pollution may increase. Small changes in climate can result in substantial changes in risk. The increased health risks are likely to be most acute in developing economies. This is because many climate-related infectious and vector-borne diseases are associated with warm or hot weather conditions. Extreme temperatures may also increase the exposure to urban air pollution, with the potential to aggravate pre-existing respiratory and cardio-vascular diseases. Direct impacts of extreme weather events include increased incidence of deaths, physical injuries and psychological stresses, while indirect impacts are related to increased risk of exposure to water-borne diseases due to water contamination, and impacts on malnutrition due to loss in agricultural production. Unsafe water and sanitation conditions and decrease water accessibility would further increase the transmission of infectious diseases. Higher temperatures can lead to increased exposure to food-borne diseases due to contamination of food, which can cause various gastrointestinal diseases.
Drawing on examples from diverse geographical areas, we came to the conclusion that much of the health risk posed by climate change is preventable or curable through the scale-up of existing health programs and interventions.
Intensive action to strengthen public health systems and to promote sustainable and healthy development choices can enhance current health conditions as well as reduce vulnerability to future climate change.
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