Global warming and

it’s impact to our

health
OBJECTIVES FOR THE DAY

š LECTURE ABOUT :
š What is global warming
š Effects of global warming in the economy
š Effects of global warming in the health
š Causes of global warming
š Possible adaptations to global warming
š BREAK
š ACTIVITY
Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health
Effect of global warming in terms of health

š increases in malnutrition and consequent disorders, with

implications for child growth and development;
š increased deaths, disease and injury due to heat waves, floods,
storms, fires and droughts;
š the increased burden of diarrheal disease;
š the increased frequency of cardio-respiratory diseases due to
higher concentrations of ground-level ozone related to climate
change
š the altered spatial distribution of some infectious disease vectors
CARBON DIOXIDE IS
OF PRIMARY CONCERN

Human activities have

boosted atmospheric
concentrations from 280
parts per million (ppm) to
383 ppm
š To their highest levels in
more than 650,000 years
WHAT CAUSED LEVELS OF CO2 TO
INCREASE?

š Burned fossil fuels in our homes, factories, and automobiles

š Transferred large amounts of carbon dioxide from lithospheric
reservoirs into the atmosphere
š The main reason atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have
increased so dramatically
š Deforestation has contributed to rising atmospheric CO2
concentration
š Forests serve as sinks for recently active carbon
š Their removal reduces the biosphere’s ability to absorb
Explanation of global warming
health benefits of milder winters

1 2
may reduce deaths from mosquito populations may
influenza or cardiovascular recede in areas that
disease in some temperate become more arid
countries
Immediate and direct risks of global warming

š health impacts of
heatwaves, extreme
weather events, and
altered air quality
(especially increased
concentrations of
ground level ozone).
šhuman body’s capacity
to cope with increased
thermal stress is
exceeded, risks of
homeostatic failure,
disease exacerbation,
and death begin to rise
rapidly.
šolder people, those with
underlying cardiovascular
or chronic respiratory
disease, and those who
are poor, uneducated, or
isolated
Indirect risks

šgreater absolute burden of adverse health

impact from heat waves will be in the
šgeneral community, but workers in various heat
exposed workplaces, both outdoors and indoors
(if unventilated), are particularly vulnerable
Indirect risks

šchanges and disruptions to ecological and biophysical

systems, affecting food yields, the production of
aeroallergens (spores and pollens), bacterial growth
rates, the range and activity of disease vectors (such as
mosquitoes), and water flows and quality.
Indirect risks

šRising temperatures reduce the solubility of gases

(such as oxygen) in water: oxygen concentration
at saturation falls 10% with a 3°C increase.
šmay reduce fish stock density. Ocean fishery harvests
are also affected by the adverse impacts of
acidification (caused by increased uptake of carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere) on the vitality of the
marine food web base.
Indirect risks

šCrop and livestock yields are more sensitive to

changes in climatic conditions than previously
thought.
šYields are impaired by relatively small changes in
growing season temperatures.
šRising temperatures affect rice production.
Human Health and
Agriculture

š A good part of the world and its

countries rely on agriculture as their
main source of income and of food
š For many countries this change
could mean death, in fact that
projected number of starving
people worldwide is expected to
be 40-300 million people in addition
to the 600 million already projected
to be starving in 2060
Human Health and Agriculture
Changes in climatic conditions will affect
many climate sensitive infectious
diseases via
šinfluences on pathogen maturation and multiplication, on
vector organism density and behaviour (such as the
mosquito)
šon the ecology and density of reservoir (intermediate) host
species, and on aspects of human behaviour that amplify risks of
infection (such as crowding and displacement)
šcases of campylobacteriosis, and infection with Salmonella
Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis rise with temperature
 Changes in the distribution and life cycle of vector
organisms will also occur, as with those of their
transmitted pathogens

šChanges in the distribution and life cycle of vector organisms

will also occur, as with those of their transmitted pathogens.
š Changes in malaria, schistosomiasis and leishmaniasis are to be
expected, as well as in dengue fever and infections by other
arboviruses.
šgeographical distribution and timing of such changes are difficult to
predict.
ša short term increase in temperature and rainfall associated with the 1997-98 El
Niño caused Plasmodium falciparum malaria epidemics in Kenya, but reduced
malaria transmission in Tanzania.
šMalarial zones have apparently extended to higher altitude in western Kenyan
highlands
šthe schistosomiasis water snail survival zone has extended north in eastern China
The infectious diseases

Cholera is a parasitic
disease which can cause
death from dehydration as
it causes excessive diarrhea

Dengue fever is transmitted

by mosquitoes and causes
fevers, joint and muscle
pain, and headaches.
The infectious diseases

š Malaria can affect 45% of the world’s

population today but if global warming
continues at the rate that it is progressing,
that number could change to be 60% of
the world’s population
 Spreading Infectious Disease: Malaria

Source: UNEP/GRID-Arendal
Dengue’s principal vector: Aedes aegypti

Principal vector is female Aedes aegypti mosquito. Infected

mosquito remains infective for life.
Indonesia: reported dengue cases doubled in 2007 vs. 2005.
 Effects of Temperature Rise on Dengue Transmission

Shorten viral incubation period in mosquito

Shorten breeding cycle of mosquito

Increase frequency of mosquito feeding

More efficient transmission of dengue virus from mosquito to

human
Global rise in dengue cases reported annually to WHO,
1955-2005

1,000,000 925,896
One thousand-fold increase
800,000

600,000 479,848

400,000 295,554

200,000
122,174

908 15,497
0

1955-59 1960-69 1970-79 1980-89 1990-99 2000-

2005
Lancet 2006;368:2194
 Global Dengue Epidemiology

1960s

Thousand-fold
increase in reported
incidence

1990s
Dengue fever only
DHF/DSS

Dengue007/CMH/260302
1990
Estimated
regional
probability of
dengue
occurrence
under medium
climate change
scenario: 2085
vs 1990
2085 Using statistical
equation derived
from observations of
recent distribution of
disease in relation to
meterological
variables

Source: Hales et al.

Lancet, 2002.
http://image.thelancet.
com/extras/01art1117
Probability 5web.pdf
Schistosomiasis: tropical
disease caused by
infestation with
schistosomes, widespread
in rural areas of Africa, Asia,
and Latin America through
use of contaminated water,
and characterized by
infection and gradual
destruction of the tissues of
the kidneys, liver, and other
organs. Also called
bilharziasis , snail fever .
Schistosomiasis: Northwards extension of potential transmission
(limited by ‘freezing zone’), in Jiangsu province, due to rise in
average January temperature since 1960

Freezing zone 1970-2000 Temperature

change from 1960s
to 1990s
Freezing zone 1960-1990
0.6-1.2 oC
Baima lake
Hongze lake
1.2-1.8 oC

planned Sth-to-
Nth water canal

Yang et al, 2005: Increase in reported incidence of Yangtze River

schistosomiasis over past decade. May reflect recent
warming? Shanghai
Northwards extension of “freeze line” (which limits survival
of water snails) puts 21 million extra people at risk.
 Zhou X-N, Yang G-J, et al. Potential Impact of Climate
Change on Schistosomiasis Transmission in China
Now 2030: + 0.9oC

“Recent data suggest that schisto-somiasis 2050: + 1.6oC

is re-emerging in some settings that had
previously reached the [successful disease
control] criteria of either transmission
control or transmission interruption. ….
Along with other reasons, climate change
and ecologic transformations have been
suggested as the underlying causes.”
šIncreased water contamination
(both particulate and microbial,
including from sewerage
effluent) is thus likely. Gains in
temperature and changes in
rainfall and humidity may extend
and intensify exposure to
allergenic pollen and spores from
plants such as ragweed.
Deferred and diffuse risks

those associated with rural to urban displacement and the mental health consequences of
droughts in failing rural communities.

In Australia following a severe weather event, as many as one in five people will suffer
debilitating effects of extreme stress, emotional injury, and despair which can linger for
months or even years, affecting community wellbeing and the capacity for people to work.

Children in particular are vulnerable to pre- may lead to long term insecurity and anxiety in young
people including chronic neurohormonal changes that
disaster anxiety and post-trauma illness. affect long term disease processes.
Risks associated with conflicts
and environmental refugee flows

šDisease, starvation, drought,

loss of habitat, loss of natural
resources, and economic
impacts are powerful drivers.
šthe chance of civil war breaking
out doubled during such warmer
spells
health sector should play a central role

communicate the collaborate with promote, lead and

health risks of global other (sometimes evaluate a range of
heating unfamiliar) partners adaptive strategies.

protecting the health Globally, increased

and safety of the financial contributions
most vulnerable by high income
sectors of countries to low
populations. income countries,
Achieving Sustainability:
Citizens, or Society – or Global Governance?

Individual Large-scale Need a Global

citizen/consum (global) Cultural climate/envtl
er actions can environmental Transformation changes arise
solve ~5% of changes need (‘Third Industrial from systemic
problem. large-scale Revolution’; market failures.
(governmental) Sustainability that!)
policy changes Transition)
CC and Health: Main Types of Adaptive Strategies

š Appropriate workforce training and mid-career development

š Public education and awareness
š Early-alert systems: heatwaves, other impending weather extremes, infectious disease
outbreaks
š Community-based neighborhood support/watch schemes

š Climate-proofed housing design, and ‘cooler’ urban layout

š Disaster preparedness, incl. health-system ‘surge’ capacity
š Enhanced infectious disease control programs
• vaccines, vector control, case detection and treatment
ACTIVITY FOR THE DAY

Create a flowchart how does global warming affect

us in economically , financially , mentally , health
and others