Climate change: The climate becomes a health hazard

Air pollution, heat, disease and food shortages: climate change already has a significant impact on people's health. A report shows the extent.

Climate change: The climate becomes a health hazard
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  • Page 1 — climate becomes a health hazard
  • Page 2 — air pollution is a driver and a direct health hazard
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    Aedes Aegypti is one of winners of global warming. The mosquito is spreading in more and more regions thanks to rising temperatures. Its main area is tropical belt of Earth. But in sourn Europe, in sourn part of United States and Australia, it is probably already settling. At least people are sick of dengue virus that Aedes aegypti transmits everywhere. The virus causes nausea, high fever, muscle and headache – if infection is mild. In severe cases, re is a situation of shock and bleeding that can be fatal. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50 to 100 million people worldwide suffer from dengue fever every year. Some studies even take up to 400 million infections.

    A study now published by 24 institutions, including World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization, predicts that infection rates could rise with advancing climate change (Lancet, Watts et al., 2017). According to WHO, dengue fever caused severe outbreaks before 1970 in only nine countries. Today, re are already over 100 countries in which people regularly infect mselves. And that is not yet biggest climate-related health risk. Even worse, The Lancet countdown on health and climate change is expected to impact crop losses by rising temperatures. Especially in climate-endangered regions, where people also live on self-grown foodstuffs, according to study, re is a risk of malnutrition. For small farmers, it is more difficult to adapt ir agriculture to new realities in short term.

    The temperature rises, crops are

    According to analysis, global hunger is greatest health impact of climate change in 21st century. The number of starving has been seen globally since 1990, but trend has been reversed for a few years now. In 30 particularly poor countries affected by climate change in Asia and Africa, number of malnourished people has increased since 1990 even from 398 million to 422 million, authors write. The world's wheat harvest decreases by six each time, and travel sluggishly dwindles by ten percent as soon as temperature increases by one degree. Warmer oceans also threaten fishing. When fish stocks continue to decline, authors write that 1.4 billion people are threatening to supply central micronutrients such as zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.

    Malnutrition and Denguemücken are not yet an issue in Europe. A health risk that people are already feeling is heat. The authors of Lancet report write that worldwide in year 2015 alone 175 million people over 65 years were exposed to heat waves. Especially in this age group, health consequences can be difficult. Old and sick people react more sensitively, because heat stresses heart, circulation and kidneys. So threaten Hitzschläge, a precondition at heart can worsen or kidneys take damage if body gets too little water.

    Extreme heat is more frequent and dangerous

    The danger that extremely warm periods can also bring to Europe was evident in first half of August 2003. The temperatures rose to record levels, with a maximum value of 47.3 degrees Celsius in Portuguese Alentejo. Over a period of two weeks it hardly cooled down even at night. Between 20,000 and 70,000 people died in addition compared to previous years. Experts assume that this was due to extreme heat. Furr studies are still needed for accurate statements about deaths as a result of rising temperatures. By 2050, number of people who suffer directly from effects of heatwaves, but at least a billion, can be estimated by researchers.

    Rising temperatures also mean that people working physically and outside are less productive. Especially in warmer regions, it is becoming too hot in more and more days to work outside. Between 2000 and 2016, labor productivity among farm workers decreased by 5.3 percent, authors write. Especially in warmer regions, it is becoming too hot on more and more days to work outside. In year 2016, refore, more than 920,000 people worldwide lost ir jobs, alone in India 418,000. "This is particularly important in agricultural areas," says Anthony Costello, one of WHO directors. "The stadiums for World Cup in Qatar are being built at night under floodlights, which is not possible in agriculture in Africa."

    Date Of Update: 01 November 2017, 12:03
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