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A report of the effects of global warming on health published by WHO, has
estimated around one million fifty thousand deaths every year due to global
warming. Further it declared that each year five million people are suffering
from health problems and diseases caused for this global warming. The rising
concern over this matter has led many scientists and researchers to take a
deeper look and prepare a plan to save human civilization from this onslaught.
Global warming has caused changes in temperature, ocean current flow, sea level,
ecosystem, economy, agriculture, industry, settlements and related to all these
– the health and living. Warmer world has created congenial atmosphere for the
breeding and life expanse of various virus, bacteria and carriers of infectious
diseases. Few evidences of global warming leaving negative effects on human
health are:
The vectors distribution of infectious diseases have been altered for global
warming.
Heat wave resulted for global warming are causing deaths.
The seasonal distribution of few species of allergenic pollen have been
altered for global warming.
Various extreme conditions of global warming like droughts, heat and cold
wave, storm, flood, fire will increase the death tolls as well as injuries and
diseases.
Malnutrition and disordered development of children are few long term results
of global warming.
Global warming will cause increase of malaria, diarrhea, cholera, dengue,
encephalitis and other diseases.
There will be constant rising rate of mortality due to ground level ozone
related diseases as well as high cardio respiratory morbidity for global
warming.
Thus global warming will affect human health in two major ways – with extreme
weather condition and with rising infectious diseases. IPCC in a study of one of
the most global warming affected area of Illionis, Chicago, has provided an
apprehensive report that by 2020 extreme climate condition like heat wave will
raise the climate average deaths to 400 and to 497 by 2050 from the present
average of 191. European heat wave of 2003 is an example of its severity. Heat
waves will even cause cardio respiratory complications resulting to high rate of
deaths.
The results of ill health due to global warming and infectious diseases are
already evident. Houston as well as many tropical countries are experiencing
frequent outbreak of malaria, dengue and other encephalitis diseases. Even
colder regions like Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Queens are severely
suffering from malaria since 1990 as a result of global warming. McAllen of
Texas also suffered a dengue epidemic in 1995. Florida, New Oreleans, Arizona,
Mississippi, Texas, Colorado, and California – all are experiencing encephalitis
epidemic for global warming since 1987. According to IPCC, 65% of world
population will suffer from high risk of infectious diseases in near future. The
risk itself will be increased by 20%, only as a result of global warming.
Facing such an impending calamity due to global warming, the requirement of
proper planning and organized adaptation to new and changing condition has
received a new dimension. Along with urgent and basic adaptation practices to
fight the immediate effects, a longer planning and elaborate gradual methodology
are also necessary to address the severity of future conditions resulted from
global warming. A participatory approach to the holistic development of human
health is expected to sober down the effects of global warming on health to some
extent.
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