GLOBAL WARMING IMPACT ON HEALTH

-: Dr. Gulrukh Hashmi

“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are only consequences”

—Robert Green Ingersoll

Overview Defination Greenhouse effect Impact on health Heat stress Respiratory illnesses Vector borne diseases Water borne diseases Disasters Mental health Recommendations

GLOBAL WARMING

•Global warming is the increase in the average

measured temperature of the Earth.

• It is mainly caused by “Greenhouse Effect”.

Global warming

Nitrous oxide from exhausts

of cars, disposal of waste and

fertilizer use.

methane released from paddy field, marshes, animal husbandry and

landfills

Carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels,

power stations, deforestation

• Without greenhouse gases the temperature of earth

would average around 33º C.

• Due to increased greenhouse gases in atmosphere

there has been 0.8 ºC rise in global temperature.

• Within next 100 years the temperature could rise upto

5 ºC.

Impact of global warming on health

Changes due to global warming

Impact on Human Health

Warmer Temperatures and stagnant air masses

Increased risk of heat strokes ,heat exhaustion Changes in vector borne transmitted diseases

•Heavy precipitation events • Floods•Water pollution

Intense weather events (Cyclones, Storms)

Loss of Life, injuries, life long handicaps. Diseases outbreak.

• overcrowding, poor sanitation.

• Air pollution Respiratory illnesses

• Ozone depletion •Increased skin cancers and cataracts

• Globally there are 150,000 deaths and 5million deaths

attributed to global warming.

• Global loss of 5.5 million Disability Adjusted life

Years (DALYs).

• South East Asian countries contributing to loss of 2.5

million DALYs.

• In India, about 27% DALYs lost and about 30%

deaths.

•Heat waves

•Air pollution

•Ozone

depletion

• Heat stroke•Heat exhaustion •Respiratory diseases•Cardio-vascular illness•Skin cancers•Cataracts

HEAT STRESS• Episodes of extreme heat have been associated with increased

mortality.

• Frequency of hot days and multiple-day heatwaves has

increased in past century

• Extreme heatwaves causes more harm to elderly people and

young children.

• City dwellers are most affected due to “urban heat island

effect” .

•For every 1ºC increase above 29ºC there was 3.94%

increase in mortality.

• 14,800 deaths in France due to heatwaves in August 2003.

• 18 heatwaves were reported in India between 1980 & 1998

causing 1300 deaths.

• The year 2010 was recorded as hottest year in india with

temperature reaching 50 ºC

Year Number of deaths

1998 2000

1999 91

2000 29

2003 3000

2012 200

Death toll due to heat waves in India

RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES

• Increase in temperature speeds the process of smog

formation.

• Rising carbon dioxide causes plants to produce more

pollens.

• Exposure causes

Increased irritation of eyes, throats and lungs.

Triggers asthma attacks

Premature deaths from ground-level ozone

EXPOSURE TO UV RAYS• Excessive solar UVR exposure has caused the loss of

approximately 1.5 million disability-adjusted life years

(DALYs) (0.1% of the total global burden of disease)

and 60,000 premature deaths in the year 2000.

• The greatest burden is by UV induced

cortical cataracts,

cutaneous malignant melanoma

sunburn

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

• Global warming causing heat stress affects both

indoor and outdoor worker.

• Working in hot environments causes

diminished ability to carry out physical tasks,

diminishes mental task ability,

Increases accident risk

Leads to heat exhaustion or heatstroke

•Warmer temp

• Disturbed rainfall

patterns

•Increased

precipitation

Vector borne diseases

VECTOR BORNE DISEASES• The distribution of vector-borne infectious diseases such

as malaria is influenced by the spread of vectors and the

climate dependence of the infectious pathogens.

• The insect-borne infectious diseases strongly modulated

by global warming include

malaria,

dengue fever

schistosomiasis

• Climate change is likely to expand the geographical

distribution of several vector-borne diseases, including

malaria, dengue and leishmaniasis to higher altitudes

• India has about 2 million confirmed cases of malaria per

year while 15000 die from it per year

• 65% cases are reported from Orissa, Jharkand, Madhya

Pradesh, Chattisgarh, West Bengal and Northeast

• Globally greater than 200-400 million

population will be at risk by 2020.

• In India there will be

shift to south western and northern states

transmission will increase in western states

new foci will be in Himalayan regions

Increased intensity in northeastern states.

•Heavy rainfall

•Droughts

•Cyclones,tornadoes

• Water borne diseases:

Cholera, diarrhea,

• Malnutrition

•Human displacement

leading to

overcrowding, poor

sanitation

WATERBORNE DISEASES

• Water borne diseases can occur both in droughts and due

to floods.

• Poor sanitation and hygiene can also contribute to the

disease.

• Vibrio species also proliferate. in warm marine waters

• For every 1ºC rise in temperature cases of diarrhea

increased by 8%

WATER BORNE DISEASES

• Diarrheal diseases alone causes more than 2 million

deaths globally.

• Accounts for 4.8% of DALYs of total global burden

of diseases.

• In India, the figures for estimated disability adjusted

life years (DALY) lost were 23,801,447 in 2006 and

by 2016, 21,486,636 DALYs are projected .

NATURAL DISASTERS• Major storm and flood disasters have occurred in the last two

decades.

• In terms of deaths and populations affected, floods and

tropical cyclones have the greatest impact in South Asia and

Latin America.

• Flood health impacts range from deaths, injuries, infectious

diseases and toxic contamination, to mental health problems

• Serious and recurrent floods in Bangladesh, Nepal

and north-east states of India during 2002, 2003

and 2004

• A record 944 mm of rainfall in Mumbai, India on

26 to 27 July 2005 led to loss of over 1,000 lives

with loss of more than US$250 million

• Floods in Surat, Barmer and in Srinagar during

summer monsoon season of 2006.

• The effects of drought on health

include

decreased food crop production

and water availability

malnutrition (undernutrition,

protein-energy malnutrition

and/or micronutrient

deficiencies)

infectious diseases

• Population displacement can lead to

overcrowding

a lack of safe water, food and shelter

Increased levels of stress causing increase in

psychiatric illnesses.

Mental health

• Increases in malnutrition and consequent disorders, with

implications for child growth and development;

• Increased deaths, disease and injury due to heatwaves, floods,

storms, fires and droughts;

• Increased burden of diarrhoeal disease;

• Mixed effects on the range and transmission potential of malaria;

• Increased frequency of cardio-respiratory diseases due to higher

concentrations of ground-level ozone related to climate change;

• Altered spatial distribution of some infectious-disease vectors.

(IPCC Fifth Assessment report)

Recommendations

• Environmental monitoring and surveillance

• Geospatial technology

• Human and technical capacity

Conclusion

• The risk of global warming is substantial

• There should be more studies to assess the linkages between

global warming and specific health outcomes especially in

India.

• There is need to develop integrated survellience system to

identify vulnerable regions.

• Effective education measures to spread awareness regarding

global warming.

References• IPCC, 2007: climate change 2007: impacts, adaptation and

vulnerability,contribution of working group II to the fourth assesssment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change,cambridge university press,cambridge,uk.

• WHO: climate change and human health - risk and responses

• Kathleen F. Bush, Impacts of climate change on public Health in India: Future Research Directions.

• Nitesh Dogra, Sangeet Srivastava : Climate Change and Diseases Dynamics In India, executive summary, Energy and Resources Institute.

• Indur M. Goklany. Global Health Threats: Global Warming in Perspective. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. 14(3);2009;69-75

References• Patz and Olson. Climate change and health: global to local

influences on diseases risk. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology;100(5-6),535-549 (2006).

• Andrew K. Githeko. Climate change and vector-borne diseases:a regional analysis.Special Theme – Environment and Health. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2000, 78(9)

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