Climate change and potential impact on disease: What are the public health agenda?

Abstract

Globally, the impact of climate change on human health is widely discussed. There are several mechanisms how environmental variability can influence the occurrence of diseases that are communicable or noncommunicable. The biophysical underlying causes of climate changes are not proportionately distributed between developed and developing countries. Developed countries contribute more greenhouse emissions, but the population health effects of climate change are estimated to be higher in developing countries compared to developed countries. Therefore, examination of challenges associated with climate change should be a priority. In the countries of North Africa and the Middle East, a clear public health agenda needs to be developed, even if local/regional factors contributing to unpredictable climatic changes are not well-known. Targeting risk factors associated with noncommunicable diseases, and adopting lifestyle changes are interventions to consider.

Keywords

• Climate change
• communicable diseases
• noncommunicable diseases