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Climate Changes and Human Health

Prof. Dr: Hanan Ibrahim Ahmed
Professor of Family and Community Health Nursing
Faculty of Nursing - Ain Shams University
 Outline
 Introduction
 Concept of climate
 Concept of weather
 Concept of climate change
 The Most Important Cause of Climate Change
 Climate Change Impact
 Effect of climate change on Vulnerabilities
 Effects of Climate Change on Health
 Effects of Environmental Changes on Human Health
 How to prevent climatic changes
 The community health nursing role
 Climate Change
Climate change and global warming refer to an increase
in average global temperatures.
Natural events and Human activities are believed to be
contributing to an increase in average global
temperatures.
This is caused primarily by increases in “greenhouse”
gases such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
 Concept of climate.
The climate is measured over a longer period and refers
to how the atmosphere “behaves” over this time

 Concept of weather
The weather describes the ingredients such as rain
downfall, wind, cloudiness or temperature and is
measured over a short period of time.
Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the
21st century
• Climate is one of the location variables of community dimensions.
So the climate a global crisis and environmental disasters.
• Climate change is one of the most serious public health threats
facing the nation, but few people are aware of how it can affect
them.
The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts
that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is
expected to cause approximately 250,000
additional deaths per year from malnutrition,
malaria, diarrhea and heat stress.
Children, the elderly, women, and communities
living in poverty are the most vulnerable
(WHO, 2022).
The Most Important Cause of Climate Change
Human activity is the main cause of climate change.
• People burn fossil fuels and convert land from forests to
agriculture.
• Industrial Revolution, people have burned more and more
fossil fuels and changed vast areas of land from forests to
farmland.
• Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse
gas. It is called a greenhouse gas because it produces a
“greenhouse effect”. The greenhouse effect makes the earth
warmer.
• The Greenhouse Effect is the natural process of the rise
in surface temperature on Earth as certain gases in the
atmosphere trap energy.
• These gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are known as
greenhouse gases because, like the glass in a greenhouse,
they trap some of the outgoing energy from the sun
retaining this heat in the earth. As a result, the earth’s
temperature increases.
 Climate Change Impact
1-Direct impact :
• Direct impact of Higher global temperatures and
heat waves:
Death from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases,
particularly among the elderly
• Direct Impacts of Natural Disasters and Change in
Rainfall Pattern:
Destruction of homes, medical facilities and all other
essential services
2-Indirect impact:-
A-Climate-sensitive infectious diseases (indirect risk)
• Mosquito-borne diseases
• Diseases from vibrio pathogens
• Cholera Parasites in warmer freshwater
• Zoonotic diseases
• Diseases from ticks Bilharziasis: Malaria:filiaraisis, Diarrheal diseases, and
food and water borne diseases.
B-Non infectious disease
• (DM ,hypertension ,asthma ,COPD)
• Food and drinking water availability (indirect risk)
Food insecurity and Reduced availability of drinking water
 Effect of climate change on Vulnerabilities
 Children
• Asthma ,
• Allergies
• Neurological disorders,
• Heat-related illness
• Dehydration ,Diarrheal illness ,Drowning ,injuries
• Psychological stress/imbalance
• Increased vector-borne diseases
• Malnutrition
 Older Adults
• Heat-related illness
• Dehydration
• Heart disease
• Psychological stress
• Falls
•
 Pregnant women
• Spontaneous abortion
• low birth weight
• Preterm birth
• Risk to new born and infants such as increasing neonatal
death ,dehydration ,mal nutrition diarrhea and respiratory
diseases.
 Low-Income Communities
• Psychological distress
• Imbalance
• Physical displacements
• Malnutrition
 Effects of Climate Change on Health
• Temperature Extremes: more heat-related deaths and medical
visits for cardiovascular, kidney, & respiratory disorders
• Floods: increased drowning deaths and higher exposures to
mold and waterborne diseases
• Wildfires: poor air quality increases respiratory and
cardiovascular issues like asthma and COPD
• Air Pollution: exposure to particulate matter and ozone
increases hospitalizations and deaths for respiratory diseases
like asthma
• Allergens and Pollen: longer growing seasons mean more
pollen and increased allergy rates
• Food Security: changing climate and more severe weather
leads to declining crop yields and less food produced; prices
rise and more people go hungry
• Disease Carried by Vectors: disease-carrying organisms like
mosquitoes can move into new areas
• Mental Heath and Stress-Related Disorders: higher rates of
poor mental health following climate-related disaster events
like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires
• Food and Waterborne Diarrheal Diseases: higher rates of food
borne and waterborne illnesses due to higher temperatures and
extreme rainfall events
 Effects of Environmental Changes on Human Health

• Human health depends upon ecosystem products and services

(such as availability of fresh water, food and fuel sources) which
are requisite for good human health
• Chemical water pollution will lead to many renal disease and
CRF
• Insect outbreaks due to alteration of the temperature and the
fauna and flora
• Increased wildfires lead to many incidents, economic loss and
migration as well.
 Effects of Environmental Changes on Human
Health (cont.)
Declining water supplies and increased heat will lead to
reduced agricultural yields leading to health impacts as
malnutrition disorders, under nutrition, migration and even
political problems and wars.

In cities due to heat, flooding and erosion in coastal areas

lead to loss of jobs, loss of agriculture lands, decreased food
production, loss of jobs, migration, social changes, physical
and psychological problems.
Effects of Environmental Changes on Human
Health (cont.)
Changing patterns of infectious diseases that are
sensitive to climatic disturbances; affection of infectious
disease reservoirs, emergence of new strains and new
diseases, resistance to pesticide chemicals used to control
certain disease vectors, and the accidental or intentional
human introduction of pathogens.
Leading to higher morbidity and mortality rates.
 Effects of Environmental Changes on Human
Health (cont.)
Toxic pollution kills crops, fish stocks, and poisons our
air, water, and soil creating and accelerating all types of
global health; this will lead to social, and economic
problems. (Ocean heating and ocean acidification from
carbon from global warming will eventually kill off much
of the oceans' oxygen-producing plankton.
These plankton are responsible for as much as 50% of all
oxygen produced on the planet.).
The above factors cause health problems due to affection of
food production and emergence of new infectious
diseases.
 Effects of Environmental Changes on Human
Health (cont.)

• Hot temperatures increase the ozone concentration, which can

damage people's lung tissue and cause complications for asthma
patients and those with lung diseases. Increased global warming
can also pose a threat to national security, affecting food security,
which, in turn, can lead to resources conflicts.
• Higher temperatures are worsening many types of disasters,
including storms, heat waves, floods, and droughts
• Higher death rates.
• Higher wildlife extinction rates.
• Higher sea levels squeal.
How to prevent climatic changes
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
2. Walk, Bike (run, skate, move yourself!)
3. Ride the bus to work
4. Plant a tree.
5. Add insulation to your walls
6. Buy a fuel efficient car
7. Buy local goods and products.
8. Power your home with renewable energy
9. Invest in energy-efficient appliances.
10. Reduce waste water
The Community Health Nursing Has A Critical
Role In The Response To Climate Change
Provide comprehensive health care to individuals and
populations within their communities and continuing
education through academic resources to achieve the
high level of care towards climate change risks .
 participate in medical convoys to provide care of poor
communities through increase health awareness of population
to deal with climate change.

 Participate with health team in effective, sustainable health

protection and health promotion programs through
integration of nursing process and levels of prevention:-
 Assessment = screening + early detection.
 Diagnosis = case finding + isolation.
 Planning and Intervention according priorities = health education
about preventive measures and health care sessions provided in
different community settings + immunization program.
 Evaluation = monitoring + reassessment of detected cases.
 Develop educational partnership
between, governmental, non -governmental organization, private, health insurance
sector, and community stakeholders to provide training for community health
nursing students to apply health education session at different health and
educational settings such as MCH centers, primary, preparatory, and secondary
schools, geriatric home and family through home visits to assess health status and
home environment of population.

 Use of new teaching technologies to prepare faculty academic

members to teach effectively and efficiently and to prepare
students such :-
 Application of active learning.
 Self - learning.
 E- learning.
 Tele-nursing Technology in Community Health Nursing
 Health education programs for vulnerable group and their
caregiver.
 Climate change risks and human health.
 Preventive health measures of climate change risks.
 Health care of health problem related to climate change.
 Health care of diseases related to climate change.
 Climate change disasters and crisis reduction.
 In - service educational programs for graduate nurses.
 Climate change and emergency health care.
 Nursing intervention of health problem related to climate change.
 Nursing intervention of diseases related to climate change.
 Nursing intervention of climate change disasters and crisis
reduction.
 Application of epidemiological investigations methods:-
 Surveillance and descriptive studies to study distribution.
 Analytical studies to study determinants.

 Application of infection control program:-

At the different levels of individual, family, groups, organization
and community.

 Enhancement application of qualitative researches:-

To understand a given research problem or topic, effective in
obtaining culturally specific information about the values,
opinions, behaviors, and social contexts of particular population.
 Design :-
Posters, brochures, CD, video, modules and programs about care
of health problems and diseases related to climate change disasters
and crisis reduction.
 participate in medical convoys to:-
Provide care of poor communities through increase health
awareness of population to deal with climate change.
 Community Practice (Services)
• Establishment of partnerships with all health sectors,
MCH centers, social institutions, geriatric homes
and schools to provide health services and meeting
the health educational needs of the community.
• Apply the new technology in nursing in this sectors.
 Mobilize community partnerships to participate in inform,
educate, and empower people about health protection and
promotion issues through health education programs about
dealing with environmental risks, health problems, diseases
related to climate change and how to deal with sequences
disasters and crisis.
 To offer continuing education for the community health nurses
workforce and caregivers in schools, geriatric homes, MCH
centers, outpatient clinics and emergency department in different
hospitals through seminars, workshop and clinical conferences
about health care of (vulnerable group) from climate change risks.
 Provide open access to other health professionals from
governmental & private universities and hospitals to mobilize and
support an immediate health – sector response to public health
emergencies.
 participate in medical convoys to provide care of poor
communities through increase health awareness of population to
deal with climate change.
 Provide leadership in public health sectors to establish, strengthen
and implement science-based international health and safety
standards to improve health programs, and practice.
 Utilize informatics.
 Apply quality improvement.
 New technology to enhance care.
 Clinical pathways.
 Complementary therapy.