Climate change has become the world’s most pressing health issue in recent years. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the world’s average temperature has increased drastically. From 2014 to 2019, global climate temperatures have increased by 1.1°C since the pre-industrial age. A decimal place of an increase seems unsubstantial. If you take into account the fact that the world has different climate zones, however, it shows that an increase of that size can matter so much more to tropical areas.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration reports that climate change will lead to extreme temperatures on Earth. If the warming reaches 1.5°C, 14 percent of the world’s population will suffer from severe heat waves once every five years. With each decimal increase, the world will experience more severe weather conditions, and there will come a point when the planet will be uninhabitable for the majority of the population.
Climate change and human health
Even now, people are already starting to feel the effects of this shift in global temperature averages. Did you know what exposure to extreme temperatures can lead to cardiovascular disease? This is because intense heat has a very high chance of causing heat stroke and heat exhaustion. It is likely that with higher temperature averages, there will be more people suffering from chronic cardiac conditions.
Asthma and allergies will also become more commonplace. When temperatures rise, it enables the formation of smog, which irritates the lungs and triggers asthma attacks. Allergies are also more likely because plants and grasses give off increased pollen in hotter temperatures, making people susceptible to allergic reactions. Carbon dioxide is also a factor in increasing allergens.
Aside from these, it is more likely that temperature changes will affect the breeding habits of disease-spreading insects. Malaria, dengue, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and others thrive during seasons of heavy rain or drought. In 2002, the World Health Organization predicted that a significant percent of diarrhea and malaria cases in middle-income families will be due to climate change.
What can be done
Research and education are the way to prevent climate change, and climate-focused scholarship should be a priority for academic institutions. However, there are still only a few places that can fit research into climate change in their curriculums. Climate change needs to be part of the core curriculum of schools from Pre-K to tertiary education. Yet, it is often included as an elective, or sometimes, it is not included at all.
This lack of attention is reflected in the lack of coursework dedicated to addressing public health concerns brought about by climate change. Columbia University’s Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education counts only about 200 schools and programs all over the United States that have pledged to share ideas on how to prepare for the changes that the climate will bring to the medical field.
Conclusion
Globally, the medical profession has acknowledged that climate change will impact the delivery of clinical care. This means that medical schools and training programs will have to adjust their courses to this new reality and prepare doctors, nurses, and other health professionals to respond to an Earth with more extreme conditions.
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