Climate change diseases grow

• May 3, 2024

The damage to health caused by the climate change have not been taken into account by countries, nor have they been included as a subject in international discussions that seek to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GEI), although the phenomenon will increase the frequency of serious diseases such as skin cancer and others already eradicated will resurface, said the head of the Public Health Secretariat (Ssa), José Ángel Córdova Villalobos.

The official said that in states like Chihuahua there have been cases of West Nile virus, a condition that generates inflammation of the brain (viral encephalitis ) which can be very serious.

In an interview with La Jornada, Córdova Villalobos said that for the last two years there have been patients with dengue in entities that are more than 1,500 meters above sea level.

The head of the Ssa commented that at the request of the director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan, at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-16) , which will begin on November 29 in Cancun, will be held for the first time a symposium via satellite with eight health experts from different countries.

During the four hours of work they will elaborate a health risk atlas caused by the climate change . The idea is to sensitize governments on the importance of taking measures to reduce GHGs and thus avoid damage to the health of the population.

Creation of risk atlases

The head of public health in Mexico added that the actions aimed at the deschatarrización and the construction of new roads also have among their objectives to contribute to reduce the emission of pollutants :

"The health sector has to develop the atlas of risks and design the mechanisms to have early warnings about the possible emergence of diseases and epidemics associated with climate change ”.

He said that the increase in rainfall and temperature can also lead to changes in fauna, particularly predators that prevent the accelerated development of vectors, transmitters of diseases such as dengue Y malaria :

"That is why it is important to prepare the risk atlas according to the specific dangerous places where people are. This goes hand in hand with the epidemiological surveillance that allows the government to have early diagnoses, "reiterated Córdova Villalobos.

Video Medicine: How Global Warming Is Awakening Deadly Diseases (May 2024).