The Health Threats of Climate Change

The Health Threats of Climate Change

Short Answer Questions

1 How are mortality and excessive heat related?

Temperature has its impact on health and mortality. People may get high fever/ low fever due to extreme changes in temperatures. They may even result in death. Heat waves are a result of global warming. They bring with them epidemics (infectious diseases) which cause excess deaths. The elderly people, people under medication, the poor and socially underprivileged people are more vulnerable to warmer temperatures. This way, excessive heat causes mortality.

2 How does temperature affect disease causing vectors?

There are countless known infectious diseases. They differ in causative organisms, pathways of transmission, clinical symptoms, response to therapy and results. Temperature spreads the area of these infectious diseases. It also intensifies the disease. These disease causing organisms (vectors) become stronger in hotter temperatures. Various types of flies like sand flies, deer tick flies, tsetse flies, black flies; various types of mosquitoes and snails come under vectors.

3 What are aeroallergens? How are they produced? How does climate interact with them?

Aeroallergens are the biological agents that cause allergy. They are present indoors and outdoors. Their contact with the mucosal surfaces of the eyes and nose causes allergic responses. Extreme climate condition increases the risk of allergy. It also strengthens the agents and intensifies the allergy.

There are two main allergies—Asthma and Hay Fever. For persons with these allergies, change in climate increases the risk of severity. Also, warming causes early pollination. It results in increased duration of the spring. It is spread spatially. Increased exposure to aeroallergens could result in more severe disease, greater ill health, and even mortality (death).

4 Does climate change worsen air pollution directly and what are the effects on mortality due to this?

Climate change could worsen air pollution directly or indirectly. Direct pollution happens through increased ground level ozone production. Increased use of motor vehicles, factory emissions and combustion of fossil fuels release harmful gases. They react with the ultra violet rays of the Sun and pollute the air. Warmer temperature enhances these reactions.

Indirect pollution of air happens due to increased power supply by plants to meet the demands. With warmer temperatures, people use more and more electricity to run the coolers and ACs. This in turn results in global warming and emission of harmful gases, polluting the air.

5 What is public health surveillance and why is it important?

Public health surveillance is a fundamental tool to lessen the effects of climate change on health. It’s a systematic tracking of the health of a population. This data collected on general and particular indicators of diseases help maintaining the public health.

The data is collected, analyzed, reviewed and necessary is taken when needed. There is continued monitoring to track the consequences. There are Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. They are quick in identifying the emerging infectious agents and diseases. Surveillance system tracks the source, causative organisms and identifies possible measures to be taken. The World Health Organization plays a lead role in surveillance at the global level, interacting with all the nations.

6 What is a heat watch system and how does it help the health problems due to climate change?

Measuring the temperature and forecasting the weather conditions come under heat watch system.  Identifying those who need to be protected during heat waves is done. The area prone to heat waves is anticipated and protective measures are taken. Heat is the single stressor to be avoided to control the health problems.

7 What is the approach used in the system developed and implemented in Philadelphia for weather conditions?

The department of Climatology has identified the heat prone areas and extinctive measures are taken to protect public from heat, there by lessening the health threats. ‘Oppressive air masses’ which cause great mortality is identified. The historical statistical data helped them to anticipate the heat stress that a particular region would take. Anticipated occurrence of such conditions brings protective responses from public health and municipal authorities. This approach is practically implemented in Philadelphia and later extended to other cities round the world. Also, housing style and use of air conditioning would reduce the risk of mortality during a heat wave.

8 Does air quality control help in public health? How can one control and manage it?

Air pollution poses continued threat to public health. Monitoring and managing the quality of air lessens health risks. Air quality regulations, guidelines and management programs should take place. Quality of air could be improved by controlling green house gases; limiting vehicle pollutants and factory emissions; and by planting trees. Continued monitoring of ozone and particulate matter has to take place. These measures will improve the quality of air thereby helping in public health.

9 What is the role of clinicians in public health surveillance?

Clinicians are an integral element of surveillance. Their key role is to recognize the occurrence of sentinel cases that signal a possible outbreak or an emerging illness. They should be alert to strong consequences of climate change and possibility of emerging infections.

When a bunch of similar cases are seen, they should pre assume the possibility of occurrence of any illness (The first cases of AIDS were recognized in the same manner). They should be cautious in identifying the organism and its cause. This would lessen the health threats. Prevention is always better than cure.

10 What are the main conclusions the author has made about climate change and public health?

The author concludes that public communities should understand the health threats of climate change and take necessary measures to lessen the diseases. The public and the government should understand the reasons behind global warming and find out adaptive measures to be followed. Also, preventive measures need to be taken. Being aware of the infectious diseases that are spreading is needed. Places at risk of heat should have warning systems in place to reduce the consequences. Government should track the health consequences of climate change and assess the adaptive measures.

Long Answer Questions

1 What are the different health problems due to climate change, which the author points out?

Climate change has its impact on public health. Exposure to extreme temperatures may lead to severity of illness and also death. The heat waves intensify these health threats. Heat waves are a consequence of global warming. The heat waves are responsible for the epidemics which cause high rate of mortality. Health threats could be divided based on causes--

a)Vector borne diseases

There are countless known infectious diseases. They differ in causative organisms, pathways of transmission, clinical symptoms, response to therapy and results. Temperature spreads the area of these infectious diseases. It also intensifies the disease. These disease causing organisms (vectors) become stronger in hotter temperatures. Various types of flies like sand flies, deer tick flies, tsetse flies, black flies; various types of mosquitoes and snails come under vectors.

Malaria, filariasis, yellow fever, cholera, dengue fever, lyme disease, west nile fever, chagas disease are a few example of vector borne diseases.

b)Aero allergens

Asthma and hay fever are the worsening allergic diseases.

Aeroallergens are the biological agents that cause allergy. They are present indoors and outdoors. Their contact with the mucosal surfaces of the eyes and nose causes allergic responses. Extreme climate condition increases the risk of allergy. It also strengthens the agents and intensifies the allergy.

There are two main allergies—Asthma and Hay Fever. For persons with these allergies, change in climate increases the risk of severity. Also, warming causes early pollination. It results in increased duration of the spring. It is spread spatially. Increased exposure to aeroallergens could result in more severe disease, greater ill health, and even mortality (death).

c)Risk of morbidity due to air pollution

Climate change could worsen air pollution directly or indirectly. Direct pollution happens through increased ground level ozone production. Increased use of motor vehicles, factory emissions and combustion of fossil fuels release harmful gases. They react with the ultra violet rays of the Sun and pollute the air. Warmer temperature enhances these reactions.

Indirect pollution of air happens due to increased power supply by plants to meet the demands. With warmer temperatures, people use more and more electricity to run the coolers and ACs. This in turn results in global warming and emission of harmful gases, polluting the air.

Air pollution increases the health risks. It intensifies the illness.

d)Indirect consequences

There are indirect paths for public health threat. Climate change would lessen the access of safe drinking water and availability of food it results in dehydration, disease and malnutrition. Decrease in resources cause competition. Competition results in high demand. High demand gives poor quality of medical and health services.it may result in migration of people which may lead to economic and social disorder.

2 What are the different measures (adaptive measures) the author talks about to manage health problems due to climate changes?

Climate change has its impact on public health. Exposure to extreme temperatures may lead to severity of illness and also death. The heat waves intensify these health threats. Heat waves are a consequence of global warming. Health threats could be lessened by taking certain adaptive measures.

a)Public health surveillance

Public health surveillance is a fundamental tool to lessen the effects of climate change on health. It’s a systematic tracking of the health of a population. This data collected on general and particular indicators of diseases help maintaining the public health.

The data is collected, analyzed, reviewed and necessary is taken when needed. There is continued monitoring to track the consequences. There are Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. They are quick in identifying the emerging infectious agents and diseases. Surveillance system tracks the source, causative organisms and identifies possible measures to be taken. The World Health Organization plays a lead role in surveillance at the global level, interacting with all the nations.

b)Dealing with heat—it is of two types

i)Temperature warning systems

Measuring the temperature and forecasting the weather conditions come under heat watch system.  Identifying those who need to be protected during heat waves is done. The area prone to heat waves is anticipated and protective measures are taken. Heat is the single stressor to be avoided to control the health problems.

The department of Climatology has identified the heat prone areas and extinctive measures are taken to protect public from heat, there by lessening the health threats. ‘Oppressive air masses’ which cause great mortality is identified. The historical statistical data helped them to anticipate the heat stress that a particular region would take. Anticipated occurrence of such conditions brings protective responses from public health and municipal authorities. This approach is practically implemented in Philadelphia and later extended to other cities round the world.

ii)Air conditioning

Housing style and use of air conditioning would reduce the risk of mortality during a heat wave.

c)Air quality monitoring

Air pollution poses continued threat to public health. Monitoring and managing the quality of air lessens health risks. Air quality regulations, guidelines and management programs should take place. Quality of air could be improved by controlling green house gases; limiting vehicle pollutants and factory emissions; and by planting trees. Continued monitoring of ozone and particulate matter has to take place. These measures will improve the quality of air thereby helping in public health.

d)Clinical care

Clinicians are an integral element of surveillance. Their key role is to recognize the occurrence of sentinel cases that signal a possible outbreak or an emerging illness. They should be alert to strong consequences of climate change and possibility of emerging infections.

When a bunch of similar cases are seen, they should pre assume the possibility of occurrence of any illness (The first cases of AIDS were recognized in the same manner). They should be cautious in identifying the organism and its cause. This would lessen the health threats. Prevention is always better than cure.