Climate change is a public health issue, says study听
By Patricia B. Mirasol听
NO DISEASE GROUP听is spared from the effects of climate change, as the rise in global temperatures is increasing the incidence of heat-related illnesses and expanding the reach of zoonotic diseases like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to听,听a subsidiary of British financial service provider Prudential plc.听听
鈥淐limate change reverses some of the gains we already had in public health,鈥 said the study鈥檚 co-author Dr. Ramon Lorenzo R. Guinto, a planetary health expert and member of the National Panel of Technical Experts of the Climate Change Commission of the Philippine government.听听the interconnectedness of humanity’s wellbeing to the quality of their environment.听听
Released this November, the paper offers five actions for mitigating the negative health impact of climate change: viewing climate change as a public health issue; transitioning to clean renewable energy as a means to keeping the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius; pursuing climate adaptation to enhance resilience to disasters and other health impacts; raising everyone鈥檚 awareness of climate change and adaptation; and enacting financial solutions as a protection from climate emergency-related shocks.听听听
鈥淒on鈥檛 just be concerned about the future waves of COVID-19, but also the future tsunamis of recessions, climate change, and biodiversity collapse,鈥 warned Dr. Guinto. 鈥淗opefully, we will recover and revitalize universal healthcare also as a climate change measure.鈥澨
NO DISEASE IMMUNE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
A key finding, according to the study,听is that there is no disease group immune to the effects of climate change. In the Philippines, some of the disease conditions that are expected to worsen include:听听
- Heat-related illnesses like heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke听鈥斕齌he country does not have the national and local heat health plans that are more familiar to temperate regions like Europe, Dr. Guinto said. 鈥淚n a tropical place like the Philippines, people think, 鈥極h, we can withstand high temperatures,鈥欌 he added.
- Vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria听鈥斕, every听1 degree听Celsius increase in minimum temperature will cause 233 more dengue cases. Droughts and floods yield dengue outbreaks, as the stagnant bodies of water that are created become breeding grounds for听virus-carrying mosquitoes.
- Emerging infectious diseases with pandemic potential like COVID-19听鈥斕齛re noted to be of zoonotic origin. The conversion of animal habitat into agricultural use has brought animals and humans in closer interaction,听.
- Cardiorespiratory diseases due to air pollution, as well as other forms of pollution produced by fossil fuels听鈥斕齮o poor air quality levels.听In Switzerland-based Institute for Management Development (IMD)鈥檚 smart city index 2020, Manila scored low in air quality under the health and safety indicator.
- Forced displacement of communities due to typhoons, storm surges, and coastal flooding 鈥擳he prediction is that the coastal City of Manila could be underwater by 2050 if climate change isn鈥檛 addressed, said Dr. Guinto. Manila is not a unique situation; more than 60% of the Philippine population live in coastal areas. Rising sea levels may make these areas become uninhabitable, forcing mass displacements.
- The co-occurrence of undernutrition and obesity resulting from climate-unfriendly food systems听鈥斕齇besity is intertwined with malnutrition, and can stem from a diet that is calorically excessive but not nutritionally adequate. In the Philippines, the rate of increase in adult obesity exhibited a rapid growth between 1995 and 2015: 5.4% in men and 3.7% in women,听according to the World Obesity Federation.
- Mental health conditions emanating from both abrupt disasters and slow-onset environmental change听鈥斕齌yphoon Haiyan鈥檚 survivors still suffer mentally and emotionally, according to a听, years after the 2013 climate emergency. Haiyan鈥檚 impact overwhelmed the disaster response which focused more on providing basic needs, setting mental health aside.
鈥淭his is an equity issue as well,鈥 said Dr. Guinto. 鈥淚t affects the marginalized at a greater degree… [rather] than us who have access to healthy food and air-conditioning.鈥澨
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SIDEBAR听|听How individuals can help mitigate climate change听听
Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, former Health听secretary and chair of social development non-profit Health Futures Foundation, offered the following suggestions for mitigating climate change at an individual level:听听
- Start at home听鈥斕齪ractice recycling, waste segregation, and composting.
- Limit plastic consumption听鈥斕齩bserve how much you use plastic, especially single-use plastic, in a given week.
- Plant a tree 鈥 make it a regular activity, like a planned birthday event.
- Consider eating green听鈥斕齦essen your consumption of red meat as its production is a contributor to land use-related greenhouse emissions.听听听
