Climate change could waste 50 years of progress in health

(Baonghean.vn) - The threat to human health posed by climate change is so great that it could destroy 50 years of achievements in global health and development, experts warned on June 23.

Extreme weather events such as floods and heatwaves are increasing the risk of infectious diseases, poor nutrition and stress, experts say. Cities are increasingly polluted, people work long hours and have little time or space to walk, cycle or relax – living and working environments like these are extremely harmful to cardiovascular, respiratory and mental health.

About 200 countries have set a 2C rise in global average temperatures above pre-industrial levels as a ceiling to limit climate change, but scientists say current trends could lead to a 4C rise in average temperatures, risking droughts, floods and rising sea levels.

Scientists warn that the world could face an average temperature increase of 4 degrees Celsius, which could cause droughts, floods and rising sea levels. Photo: Reuters.

“Climate change has serious and potentially catastrophic implications for human health and survival, yet it is often overlooked in policy debates,” Anthony Costello, director of the Institute of Global Health at University College London, said at a briefing in London.

The report, commissioned and published by the health journal The Lancet, was written by a panel of experts including climate scientists and geographers, social scientists, environmental and energy scientists, biodiversity and health experts from Europe and China. It says climate change directly impacts health through more frequent and intense extreme weather events. Indirect effects can come from changes in infectious disease patterns, air pollution, food insecurity and malnutrition, displacement and conflict.

“Climate change is a health emergency that requires an urgent response using the technologies available today,” said Hugh Montgomery, director of the Institute of Health and Human Performance at University College London and co-author of the report.

The panel said there were already ways to deliver health benefits from taking action on climate change. For example, burning less fossil fuels reduces respiratory diseases and getting people to walk and cycle more reduces pollution, traffic accidents and rates of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world, killing around 17 million people each year. “There are significant energy savings when people consume fewer calories for commuting, and there are some direct benefits from more active lifestyles,” Professor Montgomery stressed.

Thu Giang

(According to Reuters)