Climate change has always been a prime topic of discussion all over the world. The world we are living in impacts our life in many ways. Yet, we never give much thought to the changing patterns of its climate and natural habitat. Most people think climate change is all about earth suffering from the advancement of technology and people.
But in reality, climate change is real, impacting our lives that vary by age, gender, nation, and socioeconomic status. The extreme rains are causing an increase in sea levels and warming temperatures. The greenhouse effect has an everlasting impact on human health.
Not just that, but climate change is sweeping rapidly across the globe. This change is significantly impacting the earth’s ecosystem and disturbing human health. It is no wonder why United Nations continuously stressing over climate change endangering the food we consume, the air we breathe, and the interactions with nature.
Moreover, the severity of these impacts depends on a variety of factors. Apart from the gender and socioeconomics determinants, access to public health and addressing the safety systems are top factors. For that, there is a dire need for both climate change solutions and reframing it as public health issues for the most vulnerable ones.
Professionals are already encouraging the aspirants to advance and pursue public health programs to tackle climate change. However, many individuals never consider advancing their skills by earning a professional degree program because of priorities for full-time work.
Fortunately, the dawn of online education is solving this concern and enabling the aspirants to grow in their careers by earning professional and accredited online programs. Aspirants can opt for MPH programs online by setting their schedules within the comfort of home. This way, public health professionals can respond to climate change by reducing the uncertainty, risk of disaster, and economic outcomes. With that said, let’s discuss different ways climate change affects human health.
1. Increase in Temperatures
One of the effects of climate change that is dominant around the globe is an increase in temperature. Over the last few years, the world is experiencing a significant temperature rise, causing greenhouse effects and scorching summer.
Moreover, the rising temperature is also leading to heat strokes and deaths. This year, Canada’s temperatures rose to 45C, setting a new record high. But it is worth noting that these temperatures fuel climate change, which directly impacts human health. Some of the notable factors are burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests and livestock. The reduction in the forests alone bumps the temperatures and traps greenhouse heat.
On the other side, certain populations are more vulnerable to the global rise in temperatures. These include the societies that lack socioeconomic status, outdoor workers, athletes, and the homeless. For that instance, there is a dire need for policies to address the healthcare needs of these populations and ensure wellbeing for these groups. Research also reports that these extreme heatwaves are set to increase in the future.
It raises the alarm to ensure better healthcare access to deprived societies and reduce exposure to abrupt climate change.
2. Air Quality Impact
The air we breathe is no longer fresh. The changing climate is now proving the consequences of higher levels of pollutants leading to unhealthy air quality. That is also why there are higher rates of deaths related to air pollution than from car accidents.
It might come as shocking that both indoor and outdoor air is harmful to human health. The prominent drivers of these diminishing air quality are burning fossil fuels, construction, and industrial waste. The increase in carbon dioxide emissions from the industries also increases the growth of plants that produce airborne allergens. Moreover, these emissions are also destroying the ground-level ozone layers, which allows the ultraviolet rays to reach the surface that infiltrates human health.
Scientists project that carbon emissions are more likely to put vulnerable people into hospitals. Since carbon emissions impact the ozone layer, children and outdoor workers can suffer from chronic lung disease. There is still research required to identify the measures to curb the worsening air quality and reduce its impact on human health with these complex factors.
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3. Extreme Weather
Apart from worse air quality globally, climate change also yields extreme weather patterns. According to experts, the increase in natural disasters and extreme weather significantly impacts human health. Especially, the young children, older adults, and disabled groups are exposed to these threats from climate change.
The floods, droughts, and storms lead to unprecedented impacts like the availability of healthy food and healthcare. Moreover, the damages also leave the deprived groups in limited mobility, causing a variety of issues. Especially, post-traumatic stress disorders are pervasive in such extreme weather conditions.
The evacuations and emergency aids indeed come in handy in such situations. The evacuations and emergencies also require medical assistance and equipment to meet everyone’s needs. However, the everlasting impact of climate change can leave many human lives on the brink of collapse.
4. Vectorborne Disease
Vectorborne diseases also come along with natural disasters that are fueled by climate change. These diseases are spread by disease-carrying vectors like mosquitoes, fleas, and other hosts like birds. These vectors carry infectious pathogens of viruses, bacteria, and fungi that are transmissible to humans.
The main factor that worries the organizations is the ideal weather conditions that lead to the transmission of this disease. For instance, the monsoon spells across Asia result in higher precipitation and humidity levels that promote the growth of dengue mosquitoes. These vectors spread severe dengue infections causing frequent epidemics burden on Asia.
Final Words
Climate change affects our health in one way or another. However, there is a lot of measures we can take to reduce its impact and prepare ourselves. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is already causing a cascade of consequences on the world. But it is also essential to act fast and reduce carbon emissions and adapt to climate change.
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