From Parkinson's To Heart Disease, Can Climate Change Trigger Noncommunicable Diseases?

Changes in the environment, such as rising temperatures, sea level rise, drought, flooding, and more, may disrupt the cycle of ecosystems, thus affecting human health, triggering Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

Climate change is one of the concerning factors that emerged in the late 19th century. It is the single biggest health threat to humanity and health professionals worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) explains that global warming can affect essential ingredients of good health, such as clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply and safe shelter that could take decades to return to normalcy.

How Climate Change May Affect Ingredients Of Good Health?

The global health organization claims that climate changeand the epidemic of Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the two major global crises of our time. Changes in the environment, such as rising temperatures, sea level rise, drought, flooding, and more, may disrupt the cycle of ecosystems, thus affecting human health, triggering Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

Climate change can affect human health and disease in numerous ways. Existing health threats will intensify and new health threats will emerge.Explore more information: https://t.co/4MU3kJAY86#ClimateChangesHealthpic.twitter.com/kK9Mew2VGt CDC Environment (@CDCEnvironment) February 5, 2024

Cardiovascular Diseases Account For Most NCD Deaths

Here is a statistic from the WHO on changing climate impact on diseases: "Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally. Each year, 17 million people die from an NCD before age 70; 86% of these premature deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Of all NCD deaths, 77% are in low- and middle-income countries. Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (2.0 million including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes). These 4 groups of diseases account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths."

Climate change is a threat to human health. https://t.co/2ibxHEsi6b#ClimateFacts#ClimateChangesHealthpic.twitter.com/rZtt4zomFP APHA (@PublicHealth) January 26, 2017

Diseases Triggered By Climate Change

Climate change can affect your health by mutating disease patterns which can intensify the transmission spread across borders. Here are some of the diseases that are affected by climate change:

1. Heat waves: Heat stroke, dehydration, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease are common diseases directly related to rising global temperature.
2. Air pollution: Smog can trigger or worsen air-pollution related illnesses such as stroke, heart disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
3. Wildfires: Exposure to smoke may increase cardiovascular and respiratory problems. It can also cause suffocation, burns and mental health problems.
4. Drought: Climate change can reduce water availability in soils, which may lead to poor yields of crops, resulting in food insecurity, malnutrition, and psychosocial stress.
5. Vector-borne diseases: Increased rainfall and humid weather conditions can increase the risk of vector-borne diseases spread by mosquitoes, ticks, and flies. Malaria, Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya are some of the diseases that are widely spread, especially during the monsoon season.

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