Climate Change: An Overview of Potential Health Impacts Associated with Climate Change Environmental Driving Forces

摘要

The climate is changing in a very quick manner, which needs effective responsive actions. The global temperature is expected to rise above 2°C, and that will lead to serious environmental consequences causing serious health problems. Climate change is a critical public health problem. It could make existing diseases becoming worse, or else introducing new pests and pathogens into the environment. For example, if planet warms, the sea level rises, and that leads to floods and drought. Heat waves, rising sea-levels, changes in precipitation resulting in flooding and droughts, intense hurricanes, and degraded air quality, affect directly and indirectly the physical, social, and psychological health of humans. Moreover, climate change can be a driver of disease migration, as well as releasing of toxic air pollutants resulting in many health problems. Climate change health outcomes will basically affect specific vulnerable groups: elders, children, and people with respiratory problems. That would in return stress out the healthcare infrastructure and healthcare delivery systems, as people will seek more healthcare services. Strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change can prevent morbidity and mortality and protect the environment and health of future generations. Such actions are basically related to mitigate emissions of green houses and enhance the sinks that trap or remove carbon from the atmosphere. Adaption with climate changes refers to lessening the impact on health and the environment that cannot be prevented through mitigation, such as changes in our public health and healthcare infrastructure.