News Network: Opinion
Public Health's Voice in Climate Change Debate
World Health Day, April 7, marked the 60th Anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO). This year focused on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change. WHO chose this topic in recognition that climate change will continue to be a threat to global public health. As a global health M.S. student at George Mason University, this position speaks volumes for me. It is time for those in public health to have a voice in the climate change conversation.
According to Margaret Chan, WHO Director- General, "The warming of the planet will be gradual, but the effects of extreme weather events—more storms, floods, droughts and heat waves—will be abrupt and acutely felt. Both trends can affect some of the most fundamental determinants of health: air, water, food, shelter and freedom from disease." The short-and-long-term effects of weather-related disasters can lead to population displacement, compromising health and destroying lives. Displacement is associated with a range of health issues, including social isolation and mental disorders and, in many cases, reduced socioeconomic status. In the world's most vulnerable nations, public health crises such as HIV/AIDS or chronic malnutrition, combined with the disastrous effects of climate change, will have catastrophic outcomes.
The WHO reports that stresses on natural resources such as water or fertile land for agriculture, lead to competition between populations. Along with factors such as poor governance and ethnic rivalries, competition can inflame tensions. The need for public health experts to develop conflict analysis and resolution skills is long overdue. Currently, there are food riots around the world in response to the growing food costs.
The WHO recognizes that developing nations will be hardest hit. It is estimated that approximately 600,000 deaths occurred worldwide as a result of weather-related natural disasters in the 1990s, some 95 percent of which took place in developing countries. While developing nations may be hardest hit, this should not deter from the fact that the issue is global climate change with corresponding effects on global health. Countries such as the United States and China are two of the world's biggest environmental polluters and it is unfortunate that the developing nations will be the ones who suffer the most.
As people pay more attention to climate change, experts from multiple disciplines should collaborate in seeking solutions. The 2008 message has encouraged my interest in public health, conflict and climate change. Analyzing the relationships and dynamics of these three areas will support effective and integrated approaches to prevent, prepare for, and act in, future public health and natural disasters.