Climate change currently represents one of the most significant threats to public health. Extreme weather events, including floods, droughts, and extreme heat, are associated with adverse health outcomes. These include increased susceptibility to illness, a rise in infectious diseases due to vector transmission, and injuries resulting from the events themselves. Climate change negatively impacts several social determinants of good health.
These include access to clean water and sanitation, hygiene practices, shelter (often disrupted by displacement), livelihoods, and equitable access to healthcare. Additionally, it affects food production and safety, as well as energy and transport infrastructure. All of these factors are crucial social support structures that help ensure optimal health. Similarly, flooding and drought increase the risk of food and water-borne infectious diseases, including cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid, primarily due to contaminated water and food environments.
High temperatures and humidity also contribute to foodborne illnesses by affecting food safety, often mediated through the growth and distribution of mycotoxins in food. The consumption of contaminated food and feed crops presents risks to both human and animal health. The diseases and illnesses resulting from food contamination and waterborne infections are known to increase caloric requirements and reduce the body’s ability to absorb and utilize essential nutrients, thereby increasing the overall nutritional needs of affected populations.
Extreme high temperatures are a leading cause of climate-related health risks, leading to weather-related deaths through heat exhaustion, severe dehydration, or fatal heat stroke. Such conditions can also worsen underlying illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health conditions, and asthma. Furthermore, extreme heat increases the risk of faster transmission of certain infectious diseases by altering the development of plant and animal species and modifying the environments of pests and diseases, leading to a rise in climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria, Rift Valley fever, and dengue fever. Moreover, extreme heat increases the risk of heat stress, which can decrease productivity by diminishing agricultural labor and raising labor costs.
This, in turn, affects livelihoods and incomes, especially for individuals in climate-sensitive sectors or those working outdoors.here are notable gaps in the ability to accurately estimate the scale and impact of various climate-sensitive health risks when examining the effects of climate change on human health.
The Visibilize4ClimateAction consortium aims to address this issue by generating context-specific evidence through attribution science to inform policy and practice to mitigate climate-induced health risks. Additionally, it seeks to educate the public on the health impacts of climate change, enabling communities to enhance their environmental health and adopt preventive measures.
