Climate Parameter Variability and Health

Over the past 50 years, human activities such as burning fossil fuels have released huge quantities of greenhouse gases, which have trapped additional heat in the lower layers of atmosphere, changed global climate and led to more intense and frequent weather events. The overall health effects of climate change are likely to be extremely negative. Climate change affects social and environmental factors related to health, such as drinking water, food and shelter. It also imposes new disease and mortality on human populations. Extreme high temperatures increase deaths from trauma, diabetes, mental disorders and cardiovascular, respiratory and renal disease. As the number of weather-related natural disasters increase every year, these disasters result in more deaths and slams the basic living need of people, mainly in developing countries. Intense rainfall and flood, ruin agricultural land, contaminate freshwater supplies, increase the risk of waterborne diseases, and create breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects and increase the incidence of infectious diseases. All populations will be affected by climate change, but some are more vulnerable than others. Areas with weak health infrastructure, low socioeconomic status and elderly populations especially in developing countries will be the least able to cope with the hazardous effects of climate change.