Effect of Climate Change in Human Health

Abstract

Climate change has been the most widely debated environmental issue since the late 20th century. It is a complex phenomenon with far-reaching effects on the environment, human societies, and economies. The term encompasses both global warming, which refers to the Earth’s rising surface temperatures, and the broader range of changes that are happening to our planet's climate system¹. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and diseases are some of how climate change is hurting people all over the world^2,3. Of special consequence is that climate change has a direct implication on the lives of people in terms of their health. There has been an increase in the occurrence of respiratory diseases due to poor quality of air and diseases caused by heat.³

In addition to the consequences for health due to high temperatures, the earth is experiencing more frequent and intensive disasters such as storms, floods, and wildfires. These disasters can adversely impact the victim’s psychological well-being causing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression in the aftermath of forced shelter, loss, and other traumatic events such as witnessing or being a victim of a violation. There is an urgent need for this emerging health threat to be managed by legislators and medical practitioners to safeguard the well-being of the people globally.⁴