Global Climate Change and Health

by Thadeus Obadha Odenyo

In July 2023, many parts of the planet experienced abnormal and unprecedented temperature regimes.

In Europe and America high temperatures severely affected the elderly and expectant mothers. The same picture was observed in China and India. Global leaders are grappling with how and what to do with the rapidly evolving climate crisis.

Whereas the developed nations have the capacity to manage many extreme weather pattern outcomes, the LMICs have less capacity to cope.

 

Since this is an evolving situation and very rapidly so, it is not known what will happen to the Low and Middle-Income countries (LMICs) once the full wrath of mother nature comes to bear. This reality is compounded by the various factors that determine the health and well-being of citizens in LMICs. Importantly, the climate change effects appear to increase the virulence of some disease agents that are endemic in LMICs. Additionally, the anthropogenic activities that cause pollution are integral to the life and livelihoods that are found in LMICs. 

 

The impacts of climate change appear to undermine food security and animal health. At the same time, wildlife is threatened directly and indirectly. Whereas biologists may be tempted to push for biodiversity conservation, the economic consequences continue worsening, thereby driving LMICs deeper into poverty. The problem of global climate change may therefore become a self-perpetuating crisis as human survival is threatened by remedial actions that may be recommended. This is an apparent reality in the LMICs.

Directly, the high temperatures appear to affect individuals and the population. The stress at the individual level may modulate mating behavior and mate selection. At the population level, individual experiences lead to observed population impacts. Therefore, wildlife scientists, have to seek novel technologies to combat the impacts that are known so far.

 

Indirectly, wildlife is impacted by drought which causes pasture and food shortage. The animal populations are forced to travel long distances to look for food and water. Consequently, human-wildlife conflict intensify resulting in human fatalities and wildlife loss. The net outcome will be a decline in the biodiversity that Africa has today.

 

Scientist, must therefore innovate to save humanity and wildlife.

 

What can we do?

There are many actions that can be undertaken individually and collectively. As government and as governments. There is no doubt that there is awareness about the unfolding climate change. However, the rate of change is unknown and the mitigation measures too feeble.

Promises and hope will not deliver humanity from our current catastrophic trajectory. Action is needed and the time is now.

The individuals working to defeat the depredations of climate change should be encouraged and supported.  Institutions that are charged with monitoring climate health should be allowed to work and

Public-private sector partnerships be involved in the war against climate change. There is so much to learn from the climate crisis, but, what is known today, is enough to warrant some action. This generation may have the time to imagine, how this will be but such an opportunity is detrimental to the future generations.     

 

Relevant information sources

https://www.ohchr.org/en/publications

https://www.cdcfoundation.org/climate-health

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health