Since early 2020, the world’s attention has been on the global coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic continues to put massive stress on existing health systems, exposing their fault lines. As nations think about how to make health systems more resilient to current and future threats, one threat must not be overlooked: climate change is also impacting human health and straining heavily burdened health services everywhere.

与健康相关的风险与气候变化范围有关,从传播媒介传播疾病的可能性必威官网是真的吗增加到由于自然灾害而减少获得服务的机会。例如,空气污染(其来源通常与驱动气候变化的来源相同 - 杀死必威官网是真的吗4.2 million people every year并使无数的病态和衰弱。地面臭氧是空气污染的关键组成部分,当温度更高时,对人类健康的危害更大。必威官网是真的吗诸如飓风和洪水之类的气候变化事件也会破坏或限制进入卫生基础设施和服务的机会。

Human health is a priority in59%在《巴黎协定》中,国家的国家气候适应承诺和近一必威官网是真的吗半的国家承认气候变化的负面影响。但是,各国努力了解健康的特定气候风险,以及如何识别和资助全面的健康适应措施。必威官网是真的吗仅有的0.5%of multilateral climate finance targets health projects. Domestic funding for this issue is also minimal or nonexistent.

This is unacceptable considering the need for resilient and stable health systems.

一种WRI的新论文showcases how countries can integrate health-related risks from climate change into their national climate and health strategies and put them into action. Doing so is essential, not only in preventing the worst impacts of climate change, but in keeping people healthy and nations prosperous.

气候变化如何影响人必威官网是真的吗类健康?

健康风险与气候变化有多种方式,这些风险通常相互联系。必威官网是真的吗常见风险包括:

1. Increased risk of vector- and water-borne diseases.

必威官网是真的吗气候变化正在重新分布,并增加了蚊子和其他携带疾病的病原体的最佳栖息地。在某些情况下,这些病原体是bringing infectious diseases into communities那以前从未遇到过。例如,温度较高的温度扩大了蚊子繁殖范围,导致疟疾转移到新村庄。

One study projects that, because of climate change, up to an另外5130万人will be at risk from exposure to malaria in Western Africa by 2050. These shifts can heighten suffering, increase countries’ burdens of disease and cause epidemics. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates thatone-sixth of illness and disabilitysuffered globally is due to vector-borne diseases, which are预计会传播due to climate change.

Climate effects related to changing rainfall patterns, water quality and water scarcity can also trigger or worsen diseases within a country. For example, Ghana is now facing a higher prevalence of cholera, diarrhea, malaria and meningitis because flooding contaminates and exacerbates sanitation problems and water quality. Cholera outbreaks in Ghana have a高死亡率,在雨季尤其频繁and in coastal regions.

2. Increased risks to lives and livelihoods.

Similarly, higher temperatures and extreme events — such as intense rainfall, stronger cyclones and increased risk of landslides — can causephysical injuries, water contamination,,,,劳动生产率降低andmental stresssuch as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders. Hot weather and more intense heat waves reduce people’s ability to work and stay healthy; an environment that istoo hot and humid使人体不可能出汗,并可能导致过热和死亡。

Changes in the rainy seasons and other, slower-onset climate change risks like salt intrusion from rising sea levels can also negatively impact crop yields and food quality over time. This can lead to greater food insecurity and undernutrition. Bangladesh has the largest delta of any country in the world, and increasing salinity has alreadynegatively affected它的作物,鱼类和牲畜生产。

Even in places where agriculture yields may be boosted due to climate change,evidence has emergedthat such increases can come at the expense of nutrition. These food security threats, in turn, affect people’s every day health, especially when it comes tochild growth and development

Environmental degradation and natural resources instability and competition exacerbated by climate impacts can also contribute to强迫移民和社会冲突。This can expose people to physical and mental health stressors, exacerbate existing health issues, lead to poorer living conditions and reduce access to affordable medical care.

3.更大的社会不平等风险。

The effects of climate change are especiallyfelt by the most vulnerable,,,,including people living in poverty, those who are marginalized or socially excluded, women, children, the elderly and those who are already ill or living with a disability. Without adequate support and funding,弱势群体将继续遭受最大的痛苦从气候变化对健康的影响。必威官网是真的吗

The rising frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather eventswill disproportionately impactthe physical and economic capacities of people and households already struggling with weakened health and chronic disease. Due to their already debilitated or weakened immune systems, people with cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and other pre-existing health conditions are at higher risk of injury or sickness from natural disasters and other climate-related risks.

The elderly and people who perform heavy physical labor, including agricultural laborers, areespecially at risk从增加热量和热浪事件的影响(可能导致心脏骤停)的影响,并可能导致严重的脱水,从而损害其他重要器官,例如肾脏。

When combined with poorer nutrition and water stress, the result is oftenworse existing health problems, which can further entrench generational poverty and systemic vulnerabilities。This, in turn, contributes to heightened mortality and morbidity at a wider scale, increasing countries’ disease burdens.

一种graphic showing how seven different types of impacts from climate change can affect human health.
该图表说明了气候变化与人类健康之间的主要联系,并不详尽。必威官网是真的吗请注意,社会股票和残疾调整后的生活年(达利人)代表在不完全健康或残疾的状态下花费的年份,在所有暴露途径中可能会丢失。

What Are the Challenges to Integrating Climate Adaptation into Health Plans?

一些technical and financial challenges remainwhen it comes to incorporating climate-sensitive risks into health systems. Many countries and groups lack a strong understanding of the links between climate change and health. This is made more complicated when considering that cause-and-effect is difficult, and at times impossible, to prove.

尽管环境卫生和公共卫生官员可以看到这些联系,但如果没有适当的培训,决策者可能不会理解它们。这些知识差距可能导致政策不一致,并且在健康预算中缺乏适应性活动。

许多国家也没有足够的财务来实施适应和健康活动。

如我们的案例研究所说明的那样,在加纳,政策制定者的人力资源和技能有限,可以识别和制定适当的适应措施,以减少对气候敏感的健康风险。必威官网是真的吗结果,很难说服议会为此类活动提供足够的预算。频繁的管理变更也可能使得很难确保对卫生部门适应的公共资源的持续分配。

Despite being a priority in national policies and international commitments, technical and financial support requests to the NDC Partnership and multilateral climate funds like the Green Climate Fund often vastly underrepresent health-specific activities.

在对100多个国家的全球评论中,联合国发现只有五分之一的国家足以实施与气候相关的健康承诺。必威官网是真的吗到2030年,预计健康的直接损害成本将在2030$2 billion to $4 billionper year — even without considering indirect effects.

政府如何适应保护人类健康免受气候变化的影响?必威官网是真的吗

While it can be difficult to identify, understand and reduce climate-sensitive health risks, a lack of information should not prevent action or delay no-regrets adaptation measures to strengthen health care systems. No-regrets measures include actions that protect communities whether climate impacts materialize as severely as expected or not, such as building robust food and medical supply chains, retrofitting technology and equipment, increasing training of medical staff and establishing protections against interrupted health services.

Governments can establish policy frameworks and collaboration mechanisms to provide needed guidance and support for no-regrets adaptation measures. Champions of climate and health issues inside and outside of the health sector can rally critical supporters and resources to influence policies and drive action.

Fiji, one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world, provides an excellent example of how to advance solutions. The nation developed and implemented its national Climate Change and Health Strategic Action Plan and integrated it into various policies and plans. The adaptation and health activities in Fiji’s planare expected通过预警系统提高国家提供和使用可靠的有关气候敏感健康风险的信息的能力;必威官网是真的吗提高卫生部门机构内部应对这些风险的能力;并允许该国在高危地区进行预防疾病措施。

斐济还在其卫生部内建立了气候变化和卫生必威官网是真的吗部门,并分配了国内资金,以提高气候健康活动,例如预警系统,并建立卫生机构的能力,以应对气候威胁。由于其卫生部的常任秘书必威官网是真的吗的持续努力和领导层的持续努力,他们鼓励与其他部委合作。

图形显示了斐济如何在计划适应和实施动作之间弥合差距。
Please note that the weight of each gear, as well as the presence of each element, is specific to Fiji and may differ in each country context.

Protecting the Health of Current and Future Generations

The links between climate change and health continue to grow in clarity and evidence. Policymakers can seize on the political momentum created by the global pandemic to strengthen their countries’ abilities to respond to a range of shocks and stressors — including the linked challenges of infectious disease and climate change. Strengthening the overall capacities and resources of health systems will increase adaptive capacity to deal with climate impacts, ensuring that current and future generations remain healthy.