Climate change and human health in Latin America: drivers, effects, and policies (original) (raw)
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As human societies are beginning to feel the early effects of 21st Century climate change, adaptation is becoming an increasingly important area of enquiry across a range of human sectors and activities. This is particularly true for the health sectors of tropical developing countries, as many of these countries will be some of the first to experience the impacts of global warming. Given this, it is important to understand the mechanisms through which climate change may impact on human health, and thus on the social welfare in tropical developing countries and the resourcing requirements of their health sectors. This paper reviews and synthesizes the published literature on the causal links between climate change and human disease for eight diseases of tropical importance: malaria, dengue fever, gastroenteritis, schistosomiasis, leptospirosis, ciguatera poisoning, meningococcal meningitis, and cardio-respiratory disease.
ClimAte ChAnGe AnD its impACt on the heAlth
IIPA DIGEST OF Indian Institute of Public Administration, 2022
Today, worldwide, there is an apparent increase in many infectious diseases, which reflects the combined impacts of rapid demographic, environmental, social, technological and other changes in our ways of living. Climate change will affect infectious disease occurrence in humans. It is a known fact that climatic conditions affect epidemic diseases from long before the role of infectious agents was discovered, late in the nineteenth century. Changes in infectious disease transmission patterns are a likely major consequence of climate change. Climate changes include alternations in one or more climate variables including temperature, precipitation, wind, and sunshine. These changes may impact the survival, reproduction or distribution of disease pathogens and hosts, as well as the availability and means of their transmission environment. The health effects of such impacts tend to reveal as shifts in the geographic and seasonal patterns of human infectious diseases and as changes in their outbreak frequency and severity. Climate change is the prime health threat facing humanity and health professionals worldwide. Countries are already responding to the health harms caused by this unfolding disaster. Abundant literature addresses the factorial and potential impacts of climate change on many types of infectious diseases, including vector borne, water-borne, airborne, and food-borne diseases.
Non-Infectious Diseases caused by The Risk of Climate Change on Earth
Global climate change is expected to have broad health impacts. These could occur through various exposure pathways, such as the frequency or intensity of extreme heat waves, floods, and droughts. Warmer air temperatures could also influence local and regional air pollutants and aeroallergens. Less direct health impacts may result from climate-related alteration of ecosystems or water and food supplies, which in turn could affect infectious disease incidence and nutritional status. Finally, sea level rise could potentially lead to massive population displacement and economic disruption. Some of the long-term and complex problems posed by climate change may not be readily discernible from other causal factors. Accordingly, expanded efforts are required in both classical and future-scenario-based risk assessment, to anticipate these problems. In addition, the many health impacts of climate change must be examined in the context of many other environmental and behavioral determinants of disease. Increased disease surveillance, integrated modelling, and the use of geographically-based data systems will enable more anticipatory measures by the public-health and medical communities. There are clear ethical challenges. The regions with the greatest burden of climate-sensitive diseases are often the regions with the lowest capacity to adapt to the new risks.
Climate Change and Its Effects on Human Health
International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering
Climate change will also affect human health. The frequency of infectious diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera and typhoid fever will increase. According to the report of the World Health Organisation, there will be an increase in respiratory and heart related diseases due to climate change. Human health is impacted by climate change both directly and indirectly. Direct harm, disease, and even death can be brought on by extreme heat waves, increasing sea levels, changes in precipitation that lead to flooding and droughts, and powerful hurricanes. Via environmental changes, the consequences of climate change can also have an indirect impact on health. For instance, respiratory and cardiovascular problems may be negatively impacted by worsening air pollution levels. Temperature and precipitation variations can affect the survival, dispersal, and behaviour of insects and other animals, which can modify the transmission of infectious diseases. Changes in precipitation, storm surg...
2013
Background: Exist indirect pathways from climate change to alter transmission dynamics of disease vectors (e.g. triatominae and mosquitoe) and vector-borne diseases (e.g. chagas disease and dengue). Also, food and water borne diseases. A direct pathway to acquire infectious disease is the altered air chemistry with high air pollutants concentrations like ozone and other human airways irritants. Aims: Obtain epidemiological evidence related with climate change locally in the last three years.
Environmental health implications of global climate change
Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 2005
This paper reviews the background that has led to the now almost-universally held opinion in the scientific community that global climate change is occurring and is inescapably linked with anthropogenic activity. The potential implications to human health are considerable and very diverse. These include, for example, the increased direct impacts of heat and of rises in sea level, exacerbated air and water-borne harmful agents, and-associated with all the preceding-the emergence of environmental refugees. Vector-borne diseases, in particular those associated with blood-sucking arthropods such as mosquitoes, may be significantly impacted, including redistribution of some of those diseases to areas not previously affected. Responses to possible impending environmental and public health crises must involve political and socioeconomic considerations, adding even greater complexity to what is already a difficult challenge. In some areas, adjustments to national and international public health practices and policies may be effective, at least in the short and medium terms. But in others, more drastic measures will be required. Environmental monitoring, in its widest sense, will play a significant role in the future management of the problem.
The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health
2017
This paper attempted to discuss the impact of climate change on human health. General effects such as variability in occurrence of numerous illnesses are linked to seasonal trends in temperatures, among others are discussed. Direct impact such as breakout and spread of cerebrospinal meningitis and others are highlighte d. The occurrence and spread of food and water-borne diseases as a result of climate change on human health include the spread of vector born diseases through its influence on the behaviours, and geographical distribution of vectors of parasitic diseases. It also affects the emergence and re-emergence of vector-borne diseases as the life cycle dynamics of vectors and parasites are altered. Recommendations such as primary health care structures should be strengthened through employment of qualified staff to be responsive to emergences associated with climate change, among others are proffered.
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON DISEASES
ABSTRACT Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health stressors, influences human health and disease in numerous ways. Some existing health threats will intensify and new health threats will emerge. Public health can be affected by disruptions of physical, biological, and ecological systems, including disturbances originating here and elsewhere. The health effects of these disruptions include increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease, injuries and premature deaths related to extreme weather events, changes in the prevalence and geographical distribution of food- and water-borne illnesses and other infectious diseases, and threats to mental health. Global climate change may also affect the microbial evolution and their stress response, as well as the emergence of new pathogens. Over a long period of time, many bacteria have developed mechanisms allowing them to survive and even grow in the unfavorable stress conditions. All populations will be affected by climate change, but some are more vulnerable than others. People living in small island developing states and other coastal regions, megacities, and mountainous and polar regions are particularly vulnerable. Children – in particular, children living in poor countries are among the most vulnerable to the resulting health risks and will be exposed longer to the health consequences. The health effects are also expected to be more severe for elderly people and people with infirmities or pre-existing medical conditions.