- André Biernath – @andre_biernath
- Sent to Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt) by BBC News Brazil
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According to studies, air pollution is responsible for more than 7 million premature deaths each year.
At the entrance to the stand of the World Health Organization (WHO) at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27), it is possible to read a sentence that summarizes the relationship between global warming and the human health: “The price of climate change is paid by our lungs”.
According to the entity, more than 90% of the world’s population breathes air that does not meet quality standards.
This situation is the cause of 7 million premature deaths every year.
And it doesn’t stop there: as the WHO itself points out, “a warmer world is driving the spread of pathogenic mosquitoes at a speed never seen before.”
Furthermore, “extreme climatic events, land degradation and lack of water are already displacing people and affecting their health”.
This question was also part of the official statement that Brazil’s President-elect, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, made during COP27.
“The WHO warns that the climate crisis is jeopardizing lives and generating negative impacts on countries’ economies. According to projections, between 2030 and 2050, global warming will cause 250,000 additional deaths per year,” he said. .
But what does science already know about this relationship between the health of the planet and that of people? And what can be done to mitigate the risks?
The most common diseases
American Josh Karliner, director of global partnerships for the NGO Health Care Without Harm, understands that climate change acts as an amplifier of already existing problems
He was one of the guests of a WHO roundtable during COP27.
“If you think of malaria, for example, the warmer temperatures allow it to spread to other regions where no cases have ever been recorded,” the expert explains in an interview with BBC News Brazil.
“The same thing can happen with dengue fever, zika, chikungunya…”, he lists.
Still in the field of infectious diseases, the expert affirms that it is not possible to establish a direct and clear relationship between climate change and the covid-19 pandemic.
“Despite this, the destruction of biodiversity contributes to the release of pathogens, which could cause other global health crises in the future,” he reflects.
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Lack of clean water can have serious health consequences
Brazilian Vital Ribeiro, who leads the Healthy Hospitals project, adds another consequence of climate change that is already being felt in practice.
“Non-communicable diseases are now responsible for most deaths and health system costs, and this phenomenon is increasing due to exposure to air pollution resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels”, recalls- he.
In other words, air laden with particles toxic to our lungs is one of the triggers for a range of diseases – from asthma to heart failure, from hypertension to cancer.
Both Ribeiro and Karliner cite a third point of contact between climate change and health: diseases linked to extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods.
“They are linked to the lack of drinking water and food, which causes malnutrition and food insecurity,” explains the Brazilian.
According to experts, the increase in poverty and the massive immigration movements of refugees contribute to this scenario.
“Contrary to what some people think, the poverty and inequalities that have increased again on the planet do indeed constitute an important public health problem”, underlines Mr. Ribeiro.
“Climate change has increased, aggravated and accentuated virtually every major health risk factor,” he adds.
“And while these issues affect the well-being of the whole world, the poorest and most marginalized are the ones who suffer the most,” Karliner notes.
“In light of all of this, we need to understand that the climate crisis is also a health crisis,” he adds.
Possible solutions
For Mr Karliner, the first step to alleviating problems is to “get the house in order”.
“The health sector is responsible for about 5% of greenhouse gas emissions,” he calculates.
“We need hospitals and clinics that have a lower carbon footprint and are more resilient,” he suggests.
The representative from Healthcare Without Harm explains that healthcare facilities operate 24 hours a day and use a lot of electricity to keep everything running.
In many cases, the source of this energy is not sustainable at all, such as thermal power plants or the burning of fossil fuels.
In addition, the entire healthcare supply chain, which involves transporting drugs, supplies and equipment around the world, emits many of these gases that cause global warming.
“The good news is that there is a movement to eliminate carbon emissions from hospitals and Brazil is one of the leaders of this initiative, with 14 healthcare establishments already committed to this path” , underlines Mr. Karliner.
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Reparation mechanisms for countries affected by climatic disasters are discussed at COP27.
The American expert believes that the second fundamental step to protect people’s health is to end once and for all the dependence on fossil fuels, “which kill 7 million people every year”.
“Furthermore, they are the main driver of the climate crisis. When we move towards clean, renewable and healthy sources of energy, we can save millions of lives, save trillions of dollars and protect future generations. “, he adds.
Vital adds one final demand to the list: to unblock climate justice negotiations again during COP27.
“From a health perspective, it is important to have mechanisms in place to deal with loss and damage associated with climate change,” he says.
In other words, the countries that pollute the most should reward those that suffer the immediate consequences of the climate crisis, such as floods, droughts and food shortages.
“The postponement of these agreements will have dramatic consequences for the populations of the poorest and most vulnerable countries. This is a humanitarian and health issue,” he said.