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Climate change threatens last 50 years of health progress

Global climate change has the potential to overturn much of the last 50 years of progress the world has made in health care if no steps are taken to tackle the issue, according to a recently published commission in the Lancet.

However, according to the Commission, if action is taken to reduce the impact the world has on the environment, the impact on improving global health would be substantial.

“Climate change has the potential to reverse the health gains from economic development that have been made in recent decades — not just through the direct effects on health from a changing and more unstable climate, but through indirect means such as increased migration and reduced social stability. However, our analysis clearly shows that by tackling climate change, we can also benefit health, and tackling climate change in fact represents one of the greatest health opportunities to benefit human health for generations to come,” Anthony Costello, FMedSc, of the Institute of Global Health, UK, said in a press release.

The Commission is a cooperative effort between top European and Chinese climate scientists, geographers, social and environmental scientists, biodiversity experts, engineers, emergency policy experts, economists, political scientists, public policy experts and health care professionals that assess the impact of climate change and the best methods to improve global health.  

Effects of Climate Change

A vital part of controlling climate change will keep the total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions below 2,900 billion tons, to ensure that the average global temperature does not rise more than 2° C by century’s end. If emission levels continue at the rate they are currently going, the projected global temperature increase could range from 2.6°-4.8° C by the end of the century.

Climate change has both direct and indirect effects, according to the commission. Increased heat stress, floods, drought and rise in number of intense storms are all cited as direct effects, while indirect health effects include adverse change in air pollution, spread of disease paths, unstable food supply, under-nutrition, displacement and poor mental health.

The recommended changes to be made by governments within the next 5 years would include:

• a better understanding of climate change, which will involve investing in public health research, monitoring and surveillance;
• to ease the environmental impact of health care, an increase in funding for climate resilient health systems in low- and middle-income countries;
• reduce and eventually fade out the use of coal as a global energy source, resulting in the protection of both cardiovascular and respiratory health, which would yield abrupt global benefits; and
• support of healthy lifestyle choices, such as energy efficient buildings, low-cost transportation and access to green spaces in urban areas.

Striving toward a decarbonized global economy is an important step toward overall public health, but this change will take a valiant political commitment, according to the Commission. To achieve this goal, over the next 5 years, the Commission recommends that governments establish an international carbon pricing system; expand access to renewable energy in both low- and middle-income countries; and determine how improving climate change would affect overall economic burdens, disease prevalence and financial productivity.

Global health care equality

The researchers continuously stressed the important of reducing social and economic inequalities in low- and middle-income countries. Access to vital health elements, such as safe water and air, food security and available health systems would help to reduce these inequalities. The Commission urged health care professionals to take an active role in the push for climate change.

“The health community has responded to many grave threats to health in the past. It took on entrenched interests such as the tobacco industry, and led the fight against HIV/AIDS. Now is the time for us to lead the way in responding to another great threat to human and environmental health of our generation,” Peng Gong, PhD, Tsinghua University, Beijing, said in the release.

To achieve equality, the researchers recommend that over the next 5 years, governments take action to enable partnerships between Ministries of Health and government departments to ensure that policies are made to address climate change. In addition, the Commission recommends that policies be put in place to allow low-income countries to transition into low-carbon economies.

According to the Commission, many of their recommendations would provide direct reductions to health care burdens due to poor health, and could lead to enhanced community resilience, lessen poverty, and equalize global health care. Moreover, the suggested changes have the potential for large savings for national health budgets, which would mean stronger health systems.

Steps in the right direction

To help guide the way in this transitional period, the Commission has said they will continue to monitor the progress being made to tackle climate change, and will publish an update every 2 years in The Lancet.

“Climate change is a medical emergency. It thus demands an emergency response, using the technologies available right now. Under such circumstances, no doctor would consider a series of annual case discussions and aspirations adequate, yet this is exactly how the global response to climate change is proceeding,” Hugh Montgomery, MD, director of the UCL Institute for Human Health and Performance, said in the release.

The Commission comments

“Climate change is the defining challenge of our generation. Health professionals must mobilize now to address this challenge and protect the health and wellbeing of future generations,” Lancet Asia editor Helena Wang and editor Richard Horton, wrote in an accompanying editorial.

“When climate change is framed as a health issue, rather than purely as an environmental, economic or technological challenge, it becomes clear that we are facing a predicament that strikes at the heart of humanity,” they continued. – by Casey Hower

Disclosure: Costello reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please the see full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.