Climate Change and our Health

Prof. Dr. Ainun Afroza 

Pediatrician and Medical Educator, 

Board member, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace

Extreme weather and natural disasters, such as cyclones, droughts, heat waves and wildfires, are becoming more frequent and devastating due to rapid change of climate. As a consequence of climate change, our health is facing a big challenge. The undeniable fact is, like all other catastrophes, women and children are the worst victims of climate change as well. There are growing evidences that many of the same human activities that are contributing to climate change are also contributing to the emergence of new diseases and their spread.

88% of disease burden attributable to climate change affects children under 5 years of age. Obviously, they are the innocent and non-consenting segment of the population. The health burden of climate change is greatest among the world’s poor. However, some of the mitigation approaches may also produce negative side-effects disproportionately among the poorer section of global population. For example, increase of food prices due to draught, flood and other natural calamities will make it more inaccessible to them. Societies will face non-linear and potentially irreversible threats having deep ethical implications.

Concern people including decision makers need to understand that climate change will also affect our economic, environmental, legal, regulatory and public health situations around the world. Serious measures need to be taken to mitigate the impact of global warming not only on health but also on settlement patterns of migrant population. This problem is increasing day by day in recent time. Subsistence will require the creation of a new global economy, based upon societal parity, political and democratic process and environmental sustainability. Complex ecological and climate change can influence human health as a new challenge all over the world.

Multidimensional risk assessments are urgent necessity to develop an interdisciplinary and integrated approach i.e. a paradigm shift, for the environmental sustainability and public health. 

Greenhouse effect is the process by which absorption and emission of infrared radiation by gases in the atmosphere warm a planet’s lower surface. Since early 20^th century Earth’s mean surface temperature has increased 0.8C with about2/3^rd increase since 1980 mainly by Carbon-di-oxide, Methane and Ozone.

WHO report shows that world population are already experiencing increased diseases burden which are attributable to temperature rise during last 30 years. Ironically, it affects those populations who are least responsible for causing this greenhouse gas warming the planet. On an average global Carbon emission is 1 metric ton/person/year. Developing countries have much lower contribution to this effect, 0.6/person/year. More than 50 countries have even less than 0.2/person/year. Unfortunately, they have to suffer more from climate sensitive diseases.

Impacts of Global warming on health and wellbeing at a glance:

• Death- if there is more than 1.5 degree increase in global warming.
• Increase of Greenhouse gases, Carbon-di-oxide, Methane and Nitrous oxide leading to multiple health problems.
• Increase of Natural disasters leading to more deaths and diseases like diarrhea, skin and respiratory infection, malnutrition  
• Heat stroke
• Increase of Airborne and Arthropod borne diseases
• Tropical rains, cyclone, flooding, draughts, tsunami, tectonic and volcanic eruptions leading to more deaths and diseases
• Disruption of public health services will affect human health, causing more deaths and sufferings of vulnerable population
• Increased ultraviolet radiation (due to ozone layer, temperature increase, precipitation effect e.g., both increase precipitation and draught)
• Diseases due to air quality and smog related effect e.g., respiratory diseases, asthma.
• Population movement, migration, food insecurity, malnutrition leading to deaths among vulnerable groups.

On the top of all these the world is facing the pandemic of Covid-19 causing enormous pressure on global economy and health system. The current efforts to minimize deaths, sufferings and contagiousness of Covid-19 is not adequate. Production, supply and logistics required for global immunization is a far cry and facing lots of stigma and biases. If we fail to open our eyes and our heart, this planet will not remain as friendly as we dream.

In conclusion, it is clearly evidenced that the greenhouse gas emission resulting from human activities follows a vicious cycle. In order to mitigate this cycle active responses to progressive climate change must include Economic, Environmental, Legal, Regulatory and Public health measures.

For that sustainable global peace is the precondition.