The greatest threat to human health is climate change, and medical professionals are already taking action to mitigate its negative effects on health around the world. The current health inequalities between and among communities could be made even worse by the climate issue, which poses a danger to the last fifty years of advancement in development, global health, and poverty reduction. It seriously jeopardizes the attainment of universal health coverage (UHC) in a number of ways, including by increasing the disease burden already present and escalating current barriers to obtaining health services, frequently at the most critical times.
Around 12% of the world's population, or more than 930 million individuals, spend at least 10% of their family income on health care. Around 100 million people are presently forced into poverty each year due to health shocks and pressures, and the effects of climate change are making this trend worse. The poorest people are mostly uninsured. The disruption of food systems, rise in zoonoses and food-, water-, and vector-borne diseases, as well as mental health problems are all significant effects of climate change on health. Extreme weather events like heatwaves, storms, and floods are also becoming more often.
It's crucial to consider some of the typical ways these diseases spread—through bites from insects and ticks, contact with animals, fungi, and water—in order to comprehend the effects of climate change.
Mosquitoes and Tick Bites
Warmer temperatures, early springs, and mild winters are giving mosquitoes and ticks more time to breed, disseminate diseases, and increase their habitats across the country. More than 760,000 cases of illnesses brought on by mosquito, tick, and flea bites were reported in the United States between 2004 and 2018, a more than twofold increase. During this time, nine novel mosquito- and tick-borne pathogens were identified or introduced into the US.
The geographic areas where Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and spotted fever rickettsiosis are transmitted by ticks have increased, and scientists anticipate that these diseases will continue to rise and possibly deteriorate. In addition, mosquitoes have had more time to reproduce and spread disease due to longer, warmer summers. More than 5,600 illnesses and 286 fatalities were caused by the West Nile virus disease outbreak in the United States in 2012, which was sparked by a warm winter, early spring, and hot summer.
Water
Scientists anticipate that the freshwater and marine habitats will suffer greatly as a result of climate change. For instance, there may be an increase in the frequency and severity of hazardous algal blooms, which are characterized by the fast development of algae or cyanobacteria in lakes, rivers, oceans, and bays. In Lake Erie, large-scale poisonous blooms that continue throughout the first few months of winter are a result of warming temperatures. Harmful algal blooms can appear as foam, scum, paint, or mats on the water's surface and come in a variety of hues. They put our health in peril when we consume tainted shellfish. Pets, cattle, wildlife, and the environment can all be harmed by them. Although there have been no recorded cyanobacteria-related fatalities in Americans, some of these toxins can sicken and even kill dogs and other animals within hours to days. Dogs have reportedly perished after swimming in or drinking fresh water contaminated with cyanobacterial toxins.
Furthermore, according to scientific data, antibiotic traces can occasionally persist for a very long time in the environment (waterways and soils). To better understand the relationship between the environment, current and emerging antibiotic resistance, its dissemination, and its effects on human health, scientists need to conduct additional research.
Fungi
Increased temperatures have made it possible for some pathogenic fungi to spread into previously uninhabitable regions. For instance, the Pacific Northwest is now home to Valley fever, which is brought on by a fungus that thrives in the soil in hot, dry climates. This fungus is frequently misdiagnosed and given the wrong treatments, and it can result in fatal infections. New fungal infections could develop when fungi become better adapted to live in people as the gap between outdoor temperatures and human body temperatures closes.
In addition to increasing the likelihood of flooding and other disasters, climate change also raises the possibility that people's homes would experience more mold growth. The lungs and brain can become infected and die as a result of some molds.
Animal Contact
As some animal species' natural habitats are lost, climate change has moved them into new habitats while also enlarging those of other species. Increasing opportunities for human-animal contact and the potential spread of zoonotic illnesses result from this movement of animals into new locations, as shown by the following examples:
- The number of animals harboring the rabies virus is growing in new parts of the nation.
- More than twice as quickly as the rest of the world, the Arctic is experiencing a temperature increase. Vole populations have increased in Alaska as a result of the state's warming temperatures; these animals can infect people with diseases like Alaskapox.
- As the world's temperatures rise, the likelihood that fatal illnesses like Ebola, Lassa, Rift Valley fever, and monkeypox will be introduced into the United States will rise as well.
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