Have you ever wondered how climate change might be impacting your health? While we often hear about melting ice caps and rising sea levels, the direct effects on human health are just as alarming and immediate. According to the World Health Organization, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050 due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea, and heat stress. The question is, how does a warming planet translate into these health risks?

What is Climate Change?

Climate change, almost entirely human in origin, causes temperature graphs all around the world to rise steeply. The average temperature of Earth’s surface has increased by about 1.1 C since the late 1800s [Source: NASA Earth Observatory]. This warming trend is accelerating extreme events—heat waves, storms, forest fires—with an unprecedented rise in their frequency, violence, and intensity worldwide. The CDC reports that over 600 people across the United States die each year from rising temperatures related to climate change [Source: US EPA]. Furthermore, according to the World Health Organization, climate change is responsible for spreading infectious diseases like malaria and dengue fever, affecting millions of people around the world. [Source: WHO].

Effects of Climate Change on Human Health

The effects of climate change on human health are pretty clear: it is a very complex challenge that requires immediate attention. With unmatched environmental changes facing our planet, the consequent implications for public health are deep. Extreme weather conditions and changed disease patterns mean that the influence of climate change on human well-being cannot be overemphasized. Hence, understanding these effects is critical to developing proactive strategies for protecting vulnerable groups and mitigating health threats associated with climate change. Let’s examine the different ways that climate change has an effect on human health:

1. Heat-Related Illness

The temperature rise mainly causes health effects directly related to heat-based illnesses. The increased temperatures of the globe lead to frequent and more intense heat waves, capable of creating both heat exhaustion and stroke and worsening previously developed health conditions.

• A study by WHO claims that climate change will need to be responsible for at least 250,000 additional deaths annually, with occasions of heat-related conditions being too high, ranging from 2030 to 2050. [Source: World Health Organization]

2. Respiratory and Cardiovascular Diseases

The effects of climate change on human health factor in an increased occurrence of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, mainly resulting from increased levels of air pollutants and allergens. With higher temperatures, the rate of formation of ground-level ozone, a dangerous air pollutant, corresponds to an increase.

• Climate change has prolonged allergy seasons, adding more allergens to the air, which exacerbates conditions like asthma. [Source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America]
• The increase in wildfires, including dry seasons that persist a bit longer, releases particulate matter, causing respiratory and cardio problems. [Source: American Lung Association]

3. Vector-Borne Diseases

Climate change widely alters the distribution and behaviour of vectors—like mosquitoes and ticks—and the spread of diseases.

• The CDC mentions that the geographical range of ticks that carry Lyme disease has increased; the number of cases in the United States has tripled between 2004 and 2016. [Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
• The IPCC had estimated in 2007 that during the 2080s, due to climate change, 1.5 billion to 3.5 billion people would be at risk from infection with dengue fever. [Source: NIH]

4. Food and Water Scarcity

The effects of climate change on human health spread into the areas of food and water security. Extreme weather conditions affect the production and supply of food, hence causing malnutrition and foodborne diseases. In addition, changing rainfall patterns in various regions alter the availability of safe water, causing exposure to waterborne infections.

• According to FAO, climate change may cut as much as 30% of the world’s food production by 2050. [Source: Food and Agriculture Organization]
• The IPCC estimates that as a result of climate change, an additional 2 billion people will have to go through water poverty or beg for water by the end of the 21st century. [Source: IPCC]

5. Mental Health Impacts

The path of climate change to human health also leads to psychiatric effects. Several disasters due to nature, weather extremities, and continuous stress caused by coping with environmental change are likely to lead to mental illnesses and PTSD.

• A report by APA states that the prevalence of mental disorders is higher in populations exposed to climate-related disasters. Different studies have shown an increase in the number of cases of PTSD and anxiety levels of victims. [Source: American Psychological Association]

6. Displacement and Migration

Climate change-induced displacement and migration have huge health implications. Those who are displaced or forced to migrate due to rising sea levels, extreme weather, or degraded living conditions face a host of health complications, ranging from contracting diseases to the lack of health care to heightened stress levels.

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that as many as 1 billion people will be displaced by climate change by 2050. Most of those displaced will experience serious health risks. [Source: UNHCR–The UN Refugee Agency]

7. Impact on Vulnerable Populations

The effects of climate change on human health disproportionately act on the elderly, children, poor groups, and people with pre-existing health concerns. These groups have a reduced ability to adapt to a changing environment, and their access to healthcare services is low.

• As indicated in The Lancet Countdown, among the most affected by climatic change-related health problems are children, particularly those who dwell in developing countries, where an increased rate of malnutrition, diarrheal diseases, and respiratory infections is computed. [Source: The Lancet]

The effects of climate change on human health are broad and multifaceted, calling for urgent action to mitigate them. Ranging from heat-related illnesses to respiratory diseases and even mental problems to food security-related issues are some of the health implications of climate change that cannot be denied, hence the need for comprehensive strategies to address these same aspects. Policymakers, health providers, and communities must work together to increase resilience and safeguard public health against the changing climate.

Also Read: How Climate Change Affects The Skin Microbiome?

Adaptation Strategies to Curb the Effects of Climate Change on Human Health

Given the growing effects of climate change on human health, it becomes an important component to reduce the risks involved and to ensure well-being through adaptation strategies. Therefore, let’s look at proactive measures to address the different health challenges a changing climate poses.

Adaptation strategies are government measures focused on the reduction of climate change effects on human health. Communities can build resilience and protect public health by proactive measures in the preparation of heat waves, improving air quality, food and water security.

The effects of climate change on human health underline the fact that coordinated action is overdue. Addressing the causes of climate change and using adaptation methods can reduce health risks caused by environmental disturbance. Thus, coordinated action in this changing environment to save human health—from investing in solid structures to practical actions for sustainability—is necessary.

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