CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH – SCIENCE
News: Is
climate change affecting global health?
What's in the news?
● The
prospect of climate change leading to an increased burden with the spread of
diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria looms large.
Health Impacts of Climate Change:
1. Heatwaves:
● The
Lancet report indicates that rapidly increasing temperatures exposed vulnerable
populations (adults above 65 years old and children younger than 1) to 3.7
billion more heatwave days in 2021 than annually in 1986–2005.
2. Risk of emerging diseases:
● The
changing climate is affecting the spread of infectious disease, raising the
risk of emerging diseases and co-epidemics.
● For
instance, coastal waters are becoming more suited for the transmission of
Vibrio pathogens.
3. Rising vector borne diseases:
● The
number of months suitable for malaria transmission has increased in the highland areas of the Americas and Africa.
4. Impact on human lives:
● The
WHO has predicted that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to
cause approximately 2,50,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition,
malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.
5. Agriculture:
● Higher
temperatures threaten crop yields
directly, with the growth season shortening for many cereal crops.
6. Impact on food security:
● Extreme
weather events disrupt supply chains, thereby undermining food availability, access, stability, and utilization.
7. Malnutrition:
● The
prevalence of undernourishment increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and up
to 161 million more people faced hunger in 2020 than in 2019.
WAY FORWARD:
1. Health-centered response:
● A
health-centered response to the coexisting climate, energy, and cost-of-living
crises provides an opportunity to deliver a healthy, low-carbon future.
2. Assessment of the issue:
● The
government's commitment to assess and address the threats from climate change,
are positive signs, the report stresses.
3. Holistic approach:
● It
would reduce the likelihood of the most catastrophic climate change impacts,
while improving energy security and creating an opportunity for economic
recovery.
4. Shift in dietary patterns:
● The
report also calls for an accelerated transition to balanced and more
plant-based diets, as that would help reduce emissions from red meat and milk
production, and prevent diet-related deaths.
5. Easing the healthcare:
● The
report emphasizes reducing the strain on health-care providers, and leading to
more robust health systems.