Global Climate Change and Health - Research Paper Example

? Global Climate Change and Health Global Climate Change has drastically affected the natural ecosystem of the world and thus it has directly affected the health of human beings in recent years. The effects of global climate change on health are more visible today than they were in the past in the form of newly discovered diseases and natural calamities. The trend of global climate change is similar in different regions of the world however some countries have managed to neutralize the threat to some extent and thus the impacts of health are slightly less pronounced in such countries. Global Climate Change and Health The changing weather conditions have a direct impact on the human health because humans are able to maintain a good health only in a stable environment with moderate weather conditions. Increased temperatures, deteriorating air quality, ultraviolet radiations and polluted water; all are products of global climatic change and are greatly affecting the human health. The purpose of this paper is to give an insight about the various ways in which global warming can affect health and to draw a comparison between health effects of global warming on health in United States and other countries. Health Concerns Related to Global Climate Change The most evident impact of global climatic change is the increase in the average temperature of the planet and direct exposure of human beings to harmful radiations from the sun. The increasing heat exposure has considerably increased the number of heat stroke cases during recent years. The continued exposure to heat can give rise to some chronic diseases as well which include certain diseases of the respiratory tract and heart. The cardiovascular ailments caused by excessive heat exposures can turn out to be fatal in some cases. The increase in the temperature at surface of the Earth causes the concentration of ozone to increase above safe limits and this causes various respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Relman, Hamburg & Choffnes, 2008). The rising temperature on Earth’s surface can have many indirect affects as well. The increase in average temperature also increases the demand of air conditioning systems which are operated on electricity. Therefore in order to raise the level of electricity produced more fossil fuels are burnt which pollutes the air. The various types of air contaminants by burning fossil fuels cause various ailments such as lungs cancer and irritation in eyes, nose and respiratory tract. It has been observed that the children living in polluted areas have less concentration of vitamin D in their blood because the high levels of pollutants in air prevent some wavelengths of light to reach the surface of Earth which are essential for the synthesis of vitamin D (Kawachi & Wamala, 2007). The global climate change has also created an imbalance in the natural ecosystem of the world and thus the number of floods and droughts has increased in certain areas of the world; 147,722 deaths were recorded in 2008 due to natural calamities resulting from global climate change. The floods and hurricanes caused by global warming have forced millions of people to leave their homes in recent years and the cases of Solastalgia, a mental disorder caused by involuntary migration, are more frequent. Pure and hygienic water is not available to more than 65% population of the world therefore the global climate change has also contributed to the increase in the cases of water borne diseases. The rise in the level of seas has also polluted the fresh water available for drinking. Moreover the agricultural products and the marine food available in coastal areas using such water are also contributing to the deteriorating health of the people living in the vicinity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The large concentrations of CO2 present in air are causing the acidification of water in seas which is polluting the precipitation (rain and snow). Many plants and herbs which were source of various medicines are becoming extinct due to the loss of vegetation caused by increasing temperature of the planet. The change in global climatic conditions can cause previously prevalent diseases like malaria, dengue and Lyme disease to reemerge because there are evidences that the increase in temperature facilitates the reproduction of the parasites causing these diseases. Whiteflies, aphids, locusts and various flavi that produce harmful carcinogenic contaminants in corn and nuts are becoming more common because they are more adapted to the changed weather conditions (Lemon, 2008). Nurses can take various steps from individual to professional level for neutralizing the effects of global warming on health. They must adopt recycling and reusing habits in their personal lives, should opt for public transportation wherever possible and must use energy efficient methods and appliances. Nurses can deliver lectures in local communities regarding the effects of global warming on human health in order to increase awareness. They should also adopt energy efficient and safe techniques while working; they should dispose of hospital wastes through advanced environmentally friendly methods and should not employ incineration (McMichael, 2003). Impact of Global Climate Change on Health: A Comparison between US and Other Countries The affects of the changing climate on the health of citizens in United States can easily be observed; almost 700 additional deaths than predicted were caused by the heat wave that hit Chicago in 1995 which is believed to be caused by global climatic change. During the year 2010, 362 deaths were recorded in United States due to heat stroke and related causes whereas the number was slightly high (847) in Japan and alarmingly high in India where 3245 deaths occurred due to heat stroke during the same period. Similarly cardiovascular diseases claimed the lives of more than 6 million people in the United States in 2003, about 2 million in Japan and more than 10 million in India. These statistics depict that the rise in temperature in various countries and regions of the world are following similar patterns. The deaths caused by heat stroke are directly related to the global climatic change and the statistics show that such deaths have the same contribution (in percentage of total deaths) towards the total deaths that occurred in the above mentioned countries during the discussed period. The statistics for respiratory diseases such as Asthma and other diseases of the respiratory tract depict different trends in US, Japan and India; in 2003, respiratory diseases were discovered as a cause of 15% of the total deaths in Japan, 20% in India and 12% in the United States. These deaths are attributed to pollution which is considered as a significant factor in changing global climate and the varying trends show the variations in pollution levels in different countries (World Health Organization). Summary The changing global climate has many direct and indirect effects on the health of individuals in the form of rising temperature, floods, droughts, hurricanes and pollution. The various diseases which were not dominant during the past few decades have reemerged in addition to the newly discovered diseases. The impact of global warming can be seen in all the regions of the world with slight differences in the intensity of occurrence because some governments have taken steps to neutralize this threat while others have not. Global climate change is certainly the biggest challenge faced by health experts today. References Climate and Health Program: Health Effects. (2009, December 14). In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 31, 2011, from Department of Health and Human Services, Georgia website: http://www.cdc.gov/climatechange/effects/default.htm Data and Statistics. (n.d.). In World Health Organization International. Retrieved December 31, 2011, from World Health Organization website: http://www.who.int/research/en/ Kawachi, I., & Wamala, S. (2007). Globalization and Health. Oxford University Press. Lemon, S. (2008). Vector-borne diseases: understanding the environmental, human health, and ecological connections : workshop summary. National Academies Press. McMichael, A. (2003). Climate change and human health: risks and responses. World Health Organization. Relman, D., Hamburg, M., & Choffnes, E. (2008). Global climate change and extreme weather events: understanding the contributions to infectious disease emergence : workshop summary. National Academies Press. Read More