Almost all of us are
aware of climate change and its consequences. We also know that human
activities are increasing emission of greenhouse gases and that can cause
long-term climate change. In the past three decades global temperature has
become warmer by 0.6°C and has caused more flooding in some parts of the world
and drought in other parts. Climate
change is likely to have major effect on crop, loss of
biodiversity, and the supplies of freshwater, and as a result increasing number
of people at risk for hunger. The impacts of climate change would be
incidence of infectious disease such as cholera, malaria, meningitis and also
malnutrition which is the cause of more than three million deaths each year.
Climate change affects all around the
world but more likely hits poor population in developing countries especially
dry regions such as the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. We know that the lack of water sanitation is
an environmental health issues in most African counties and that exacerbates
the impacts of climate change on human health in such regions. In 1997 heavy rain caused cholera epidemic in
countries located in east Africa such as the United Republic of Tanzania,
Kenya, Guinea-Bissau, Chad and Somalia. Cholera epidemic also were reported in
Peru, Nicaragua and Honduras.
While floods contaminate public water
supplies with bacteria and parasites, drought increase concentration of
pathogens in water supplies and causes skin infections. Drought also causes
meningitis epidemic. Every five to ten years bacterial meningococcal causes
meningitis epidemic in the African meningitis belt and it happens in the middle
of dry season and end by start of rain season. In 1996 climate change,
increased in temperature, and decreased in rain fall which influenced the
spread of the meningitis in the northern Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia
and the United Republic of Tanzania and infected thousands of people. Severe
drought also influences the incidence of plague outbreak which infects humans
through the bite of rodent fleas.
The impact of climate change on human
health, ecosystems, cultural, social and economic development is significant.
In order to reduce the impacts of climate change there must be policies, laws
and regulations, and also the government enforcement on industries to modernize
their equipment in order to reduce CO2 emission level to meet with the latest
standards, they should introduce a program that rewards industries who meet or
bit CO2 emission at the level of standard (such as tax credit, equipment
upgrade, etc.) Public Health system
should expand their efforts in more advertisement and educational programs
about climate change through social media and schools. Climate change needs to
be discussed more frequently and we should share our ideas and technologies
globally. By appropriate interventions such as providing services for safe
drinking water global health could mitigate the impact of climate change and
protect public health. Climate change can be slowed down by collaboration of
every individual, community, organizations and the government to make wiser
decisions.
References
Global climate change: implications for international public health WHOEvaluation of the Costs and Benefits of Water and Sanitation ...WHO
Climate Impacts on Water Resources | Climate Change | US EPA
Chapter 3: Plague - World Health Organization
This is a very important and real issue that most of our world is currently experiencing or will be soon. I agree that there needs to be a more unified enforcement policy to promote a better environment for all. But this will only happen in a perfect world. There is no way the government is going to regulate and change all of the machines or factories in the world. I understand that any change will help, but the damage is already done. Is there any evidence that says we can reverse the effects of the pollution on our ozone layer from our world today?
ReplyDeleteWe all know that climate change has already contributed to various negative impacts on human health. This August's the Science magazine special issue was devoted to climate change and it's well worth checking out. http://www.sciencemag.org/site/special/climate2013/ Especially, at a brief glance, it doesn't seem there's any connection between climate change and infectious diseases. But apparently it does and we can see this connection from one of the article in the special issue, titled "Climate change and infectious diseases by S. Altizer et al. For example, exposure to diarrheal diseases has been linked to warmer temperatures and heavy rainfall. Certain diseases, such as cholera and Vibrio are strongly associated with ingestion of contaminated water in developing countries and zooplankton blooms caused by warmer water or severe storms respectively. Climate change does not connect loosely to environmentally problems, but is one of the main culprits of infectious diseases and we should be well aware of this.
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