Global Climate Change and Health: Challenges and Responses

This report examines the critical relationship between global climate change and human health. It highlights the detrimental impacts of climate change, such as increased instances of asthma, healthcare emergencies from extreme heat, the spread of vector and waterborne diseases, and the exacerbation of allergens, as well as the rise of severe weather events. The report emphasizes the urgent need for healthcare sectors to adapt and become resilient to these challenges, addressing issues like flooding and the destruction of medical research specimens. It underscores the importance of sustainable solutions to mitigate the effects of global warming and protect public health, particularly in light of the increasing frequency of extreme weather events like super-storms and heat waves. The report also stresses the need for healthcare professionals to be prepared for the climate change crisis.

Running Head: GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH
Global climate change and health
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Global climate change and health
Global climate change is one of the serious emerging environmental and health issues
affecting humanity. It is no longer an ominous threat for the future generation but a glaring
reality, that is, ne that is already creating destructive shifts in the human and natural environment
as well as degrading the delicate balance of the planets ecosystem and the organism that depend
on it. In the last years, the country has witnessed super-storm sandy flooding, massive drought in
certain areas and unprecedented pollution from burning fossil fuels which has forced many
Australians to stay in their homes. Thus, when we think about global warming, we are no longer
thinking about melting of the glaciers. Climate change chaos has come into our country and its
negative impacts are being felt in all the globe. What the health professionals are stating is that
global warming will bring a rise in asthma, healthcare emergencies from the increased heat
wave, spread of vector and water borne diseases, more virulent allergens, as well as adverse
weather events. Most health scientists have termed global warming as the biggest international
health threat of the 21st century (Doherty, Heal & O’Connor, 2017). I am one of the people who
believe that climate change is one the serious environmental issues affecting humanity and the
environment. Climate change which is majorly caused by the anthropogenic activities have
deleterious effects on human health and the environment, thus, sustainable solutions have to
designed for the global community to adapt and become resilient to the effects of global
warming.
Owing to the dire consequences, some would expect that professionals in the healthcare
would be well prepared for the climate change chaos. However, this has not been the case. Many
healthcare sectors are not fully prepared to manage the negative impacts of climate change like
extreme flooding, extreme heat waves as well as super-storms like hurricane and cyclones

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(Romeo et al. 2015). Most healthcare facilities have been affected by the flooding while a lot of
medical research specimens have been destroyed. It is important for healthcare scientists to adapt
and become resilient to the negative impacts of climate change.

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References
Doherty, R. M., Heal, M. R., & O’Connor, F. M. (2017). Climate change impacts on human
health over Europe through its effect on air quality. Environmental Health: A Global
Access Science Source, 16, 33–44. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-017-
0325-2
Romeo Upperman, C., Parker, J., Jiang, C., He, X., Murtugudde, R., & Sapkota, A. (2015).
Frequency of Extreme Heat Event as a Surrogate Exposure Metric for Examining the
Human Health Effects of Climate Change. PLoS ONE, 10(12), 1–15. Retrieved from
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0144202