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5 Health and Diseases
Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2014, Karwah is recognized for her efforts
in combating the Ebola virus epidemic within Liberia. She was a survivor of Ebola
prior to going back to assist other patients who had been affected by the disease.
Her actions saved thousands of lives. The story of Karwah’s heroics is highlighted
in the Individual Matter section at the end of this chapter. Along with other persons,
these heroes and martyrs have played a crucial role in helping affected victims and
preventing the spread of Ebola.
Apart from Ebola, various recent studies highlight that some mosquito-borne
diseases, such as yellow and dengue fever, and tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme
disease and tick-borne encephalitis, have commenced spreading to higher latitudes,
possibly because of increased temperatures (Caldwell 2018). For example, in
Kenya, yellow fever has increasingly become common in some regions. It is
caused by male mosquitoes, and its symptoms are dire. The spread of insect-borne
pathogens is quite severe but may not be the only way that climate change may
influence human diseases. Higher precipitation intensity, resulting from climate
change, increases the distribution of waterborne infections that can lead to deadly
diarrheal illness as well as flourish during the heavy rainfall. Other infectious
diseases, including salmonellosis, giardiasis, and cholera, could exhibit increased
outbreaks because of elevated temperature and flooding. Scientists have also raised
concerns that permafrost soil melting within the polar regions as a result of climate
change could lead to the release of disease-carrying bacteria and viruses.
Why do you think Africa is the most affected in terms of infectious diseases?
Use examples from Africa to substantiate your response.
There are five major conclusions on the relationship between climate change,
health, and diseases. Firstly, some groups have a higher vulnerability to climatesensitive health effects because of their age, gender, social marginalization, or
other pre-existing health conditions, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV) (Caldwell 2018). Secondly, many infectious diseases, especially water-borne
diseases, are quite sensitive to climate conditions. Thirdly, climate change elongates
the transmission season and the geographical distribution of numerous diseases,
including dengue and malaria. For instance, the conditions associated with dengue
transmission have a likelihood of expanding globally. Fourthly, climate change will
be associated with new as well as emerging health problems, including heatwaves
and other extreme weather events. Heat stress has a likelihood of aggravating
the working conditions and increasing the vulnerability of renal, respiratory, and
cardiovascular diseases. Also, it is estimated that 22.5 million individuals are
displaced yearly due to weather and climate-related disasters (Caldwell 2018).
There is a likelihood that these figures will increase in the future. Climate-induced
human mobility is associated with a socioeconomic cost and could impact physical
and mental health. Finally, undernutrition and malnutrition have been highlighted
as a concern for various developing states in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
5 Health and Diseases
Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2014, Karwah is recognized for her efforts
in combating the Ebola virus epidemic within Liberia. She was a survivor of Ebola
prior to going back to assist other patients who had been affected by the disease.
Her actions saved thousands of lives. The story of Karwah’s heroics is highlighted
in the Individual Matter section at the end of this chapter. Along with other persons,
these heroes and martyrs have played a crucial role in helping affected victims and
preventing the spread of Ebola.
Apart from Ebola, various recent studies highlight that some mosquito-borne
diseases, such as yellow and dengue fever, and tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme
disease and tick-borne encephalitis, have commenced spreading to higher latitudes,
possibly because of increased temperatures (Caldwell 2018). For example, in
Kenya, yellow fever has increasingly become common in some regions. It is
caused by male mosquitoes, and its symptoms are dire. The spread of insect-borne
pathogens is quite severe but may not be the only way that climate change may
influence human diseases. Higher precipitation intensity, resulting from climate
change, increases the distribution of waterborne infections that can lead to deadly
diarrheal illness as well as flourish during the heavy rainfall. Other infectious
diseases, including salmonellosis, giardiasis, and cholera, could exhibit increased
outbreaks because of elevated temperature and flooding. Scientists have also raised
concerns that permafrost soil melting within the polar regions as a result of climate
change could lead to the release of disease-carrying bacteria and viruses.
Why do you think Africa is the most affected in terms of infectious diseases?
Use examples from Africa to substantiate your response.
There are five major conclusions on the relationship between climate change,
health, and diseases. Firstly, some groups have a higher vulnerability to climatesensitive health effects because of their age, gender, social marginalization, or
other pre-existing health conditions, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus
(HIV) (Caldwell 2018). Secondly, many infectious diseases, especially water-borne
diseases, are quite sensitive to climate conditions. Thirdly, climate change elongates
the transmission season and the geographical distribution of numerous diseases,
including dengue and malaria. For instance, the conditions associated with dengue
transmission have a likelihood of expanding globally. Fourthly, climate change will
be associated with new as well as emerging health problems, including heatwaves
and other extreme weather events. Heat stress has a likelihood of aggravating
the working conditions and increasing the vulnerability of renal, respiratory, and
cardiovascular diseases. Also, it is estimated that 22.5 million individuals are
displaced yearly due to weather and climate-related disasters (Caldwell 2018).
There is a likelihood that these figures will increase in the future. Climate-induced
human mobility is associated with a socioeconomic cost and could impact physical
and mental health. Finally, undernutrition and malnutrition have been highlighted
as a concern for various developing states in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.