Climate change threatens health at every age: WHO

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has presented a series of articles detailing the detrimental effects of climate change on various stages of human life, emphasising the urgent need for action.

Speaking at a briefing in Geneva, Anayda Portela, director of the WHO’s department of maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and aging, highlighted the scientific evidence showing how climate change affects the health of pregnant women, newborns, children, adolescents, and older people.

Portela stressed that climate-related health risks have been significantly underestimated, particularly for younger and older individuals and during pregnancy, with serious and potentially life-threatening implications.

Studies published in the Journal of Global Health reveal that climate-related natural hazards have severe mental and physical health impacts, including increased risk of preterm births during heatwaves and heightened susceptibility to heart attacks and respiratory distress among older individuals.

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The reports also highlight the adverse effects of air pollution, which increases the likelihood of high blood pressure during pregnancy, low birth weight, and respiratory illnesses among children and older people. Moreover, climate-related disasters such as flooding, droughts, and wildfires exacerbate respiratory disorders and cardiovascular mortality rates among older individuals.

Portela emphasised the urgent need for climate mitigation efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience. She urged governments to prioritize climate change as a health issue and take specific actions to protect vulnerable populations at different life stages.

These actions could include flexible work hours, preparation of childcare and educational systems for extreme weather events, and dissemination of information about measures to protect vulnerable individuals during heatwaves and periods of worsening air pollution.

The WHO’s call to action underscores the critical importance of addressing climate change to safeguard human health across all age groups.