Climate change and health

According to a media report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that climate change is causing tens of thousands of deaths every year. These deaths arise from more frequent epidemics of diseases like cholera, the vastly expanded geographical distribution of diseases like dengue, and from extreme weather events, like heatwaves and floods. At the same time, each year nearly seven million people die from diseases caused by air pollution. Experts predict that, by 2030, climate change will cause an additional 250,000 deaths each year from malaria, diarrheal disease, heat stress and under nutrition alone.

According to WHO, the heaviest burden will fall on children, women, older people and the poor, further widening existing health in-equalities between and within populations. COP21 held in proposed key actions for the implementation of the Paris agreement to reduce health risks linked to climate change. The conference highlighted the benefits of switching over to cleaner energy sources. These will help reduce levels of climate and air pollutants, as well as providing desperately needed power for health facilities in low-income countries. The health sector should themselves make a greater effort to promote low-carbon healthcare facilities and technologies; these can simultaneously improve service delivery and reduce costs as well as climate and environmental impacts. In view of the above, there is a dire need to move to more sustainable food production and healthier diets to improve the environment and reduce non-communicable diseases. There is a need to promote diets rich in fruits and vegetables. Also, a new approach is needed to link health economies assessment and climate change.

Khan Faraz

Peshawar