By Radha Devi Adhikari | Health Pana
Climate change is no longer a far off environmental problem, it is an immediate and direct emergency on human health. World Health Organization has proclaimed climate change to be the greatest threat to world health in the 21st century.
Hiking Temperatures, Hiking Health Hazards
The increasing mortality rates are as a result of extreme heat waves especially in the case of the elderly people and people with cardiovascular diseases. Alterations in the rainfalls have increased the geographic scope of the vectors-borne diseases, including malaria and dengue.
In some areas such as South Asia, upsurge in temperature and unpredictable monsoons are adding to:
- Increased malnutrition
- Water-borne diseases
- Respiratory disease due to air pollution.
Air Pollution: The invisible Killer
The global health estimates show that about 7 million premature deaths are as a result of air pollution every year. PMP2.5 is a fine particle matter that is carried deep into the lungs and bloodstream, putting the population at risk of heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.
Under Pressure: Health Systems
Disasters that are climate-related (floods, wildfires, cyclones) interfere with the health services, destroy infrastructure, and restrict access to necessary care.
Experts in the field of health make it clear that:
- Health infrastructures that are climate resilient.
- Early warning systems
- Sustainable urban planning
- Clean energy transition
Climate change is not only an environmental need, but a health need.
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