Climate Change Health Impacts PDF

Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. Adult Nursing I _____________________________________________________________________________ Overview of the Potential Health Impacts of Climate Variability and Change There is consideration worldwide on th...

Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. Adult Nursing I _____________________________________________________________________________ Overview of the Potential Health Impacts of Climate Variability and Change There is consideration worldwide on the potential health impacts from global climate change. Three kinds of health impacts have been identified: a) Relatively direct impacts, usually caused by weather extremes b) Consequences of environmental change and ecological disruption in response to climatic change c) Consequences that occur when populations are demoralised and displaced by the following climate change induced factors: Economic dislocation, Environmental decline and conflict situations including traumatic, infectious, nutritional, psychological and other health consequences. 9 Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. Adult Nursing I _____________________________________________________________________________ Potential Health impacts from Environmental Changes Temperature A. Direct Impacts to Health from Heat The human body maintains body temperature in ambient temperatures not exceeding 32 degrees C Above this temperature, heat lost through the skin and sweating Heat-related illness occurs when the body unable to adequately cool Minimum ambient temperatures are also important: Difficulties cooling when minimum temperature is greater than 22 degrees C High humidity reduces effectiveness of sweating and increases the risk of heat-related illness at any given temperature. 10 Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. Adult Nursing I _____________________________________________________________________________ B. Direct impacts to health: - Heat cramps – muscular pains and spasms - Heat exhaustion – body fluids are lost through heavy sweating Heat stroke – is life threatening. C. Indirect impacts: Range of areas that can potentially be affected with gradual and extreme temperature increases Includes impacts on ecosystems, water, food, disease-carrying vectors, lifestyle, community resilience. 11 Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. Adult Nursing I _____________________________________________________________________________ STORMS/ FlOOD’s Health Impacts of Floods Immediate deaths and injuries Non-specific increases in mortality Infectious diseases – leptospirosis, hepatitis, diarrheal, respiratory, and vector-borne diseases Exposure to toxic substances Mental health effects Indirect effects and Increased demands on health systems. Flooding: Direct Health Effects Causes Health Implications Stream flow velocity; topographic Drowning land features; absence of Injuries warning; rapid speed of flood onset; deep floodwaters; landslides; risk behaviour; fast flowing waters carrying boulders and fallen trees Contact with water Respiratory diseases; shock; hypothermia; cardiac arrest Contact with polluted water Wound infections; dermatitis; conjunctivitis; gastrointestinal illness; ear, nose and throat infections; possible serious waterborne diseases Increase of physical and Increase of susceptibility to emotional stress psychosocial disturbances and cardiovascular incidents 12 Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. Adult Nursing I _____________________________________________________________________________ Flooding: Indirect Health Effects Causes Health Implications Damage to water supply Possible waterborne systems; sewage and infections (enterogenic sewage disposal damage; E.coli, shigella, hepatitis A, insufficient supply of Leptospirosis, giardiasis, drinking water; insufficient camplylobacter) dermatitis, water supply for washing and conjunctivitis Disruption of transport Food shortage; disruption systems of emergency response Underground pipe Potential acute or chronic disruption; dislodgement of effects of chemical storage tanks; overflow of pollution toxic waste sites; release of chemicals; rupture of gasoline storage tanks may lead to fires Standing waters; heavy Vector-borne diseases rainfalls; expanded range of vector habitats Rodent and other pest Possible diseases caused migration by rodents or other pests Disruption of social Possible psychosocial networks; loss of property, disturbances jobs and family members and friends Clean-up activities Electrocutions; injuries; following floods lacerations; skin punctures Destruction of primary food Food shortage products Damage to health Decrease of “normal” services; disruption of health care services, “normal” health service insufficient access to activities medical care 13 Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. Adult Nursing I _____________________________________________________________________________ Drinking water Climatic Change: Drinking Water Supply Drying climate causes: a) Changes to land cover and run-off patterns (erosion) b) Increased bushfire risk c) Increased sediment, nutrient and debris. Flooding can also affect drinking water supplies: a) Coastal intrusion b) Contamination. Reduction in flows to dams and groundwater aquifers Increased evaporation from surface water storages Salt water intrusion into coastal aquifers Acidification of susceptible inland aquifers Increased risk from the: a) Concentration of nutrient and chemical contaminants b) Formation of toxic algal bloom 14 Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. Adult Nursing I _____________________________________________________________________________ Air quality Climatic Change: Air Quality Weather has a major role in the development, transport, dispersion and deposition of air pollutants Air pollution episodes are often associated with stationary or slowly moving air masses Air pollutants and fine particulate matter may change in response to climate change. Airflow on edges of a high-pressure system can transport ozone precursors. Ozone levels are increasing in many areas An increase in fire events will mean increased toxic gases and particulates Changes in wind pattern may increase long-range transport of air pollutants Weather patterns can enhance urban “heat islands” which can lead to elevated pollution levels. Potential health Impacts Ozone – pneumonia, COPD, asthma, allergic rhinitis and others – premature mortality Particulate matter (PM) known to affect morbidity and mortality Toxic gases and PM from fires contribute to acute and chronic respiratory illness. Evidence from 1997 Indonesia fires – transboundary impacts Windblown dust (respirable particles, trace elements) from desert regions can affect populations in remote areas. Evidence that mortality is increased in the days after a dust storm. 15 Medical Surgical Nursing Dept. Adult Nursing I _____________________________________________________________________________ Vector-Borne Disease Mosquito-borne-disease: Environmental Changes Distribution of vectors will change arising from: Increasing temperature Changing rainfall: a) Increase or decrease b) Seasonality Cyclones, flooding Rising sea levels Extreme tides Changes in animal host/reservoir populations Loss of coastal margins Mosquito-borne-disease: Human Factors Location of population: Geographic location Proximity to water bodies Urban environment: Peri-domestic breeding Mobility of population Arrival of infected people a) International b) Interstate c) Intrastate Living standards: Insect screens, air conditioning and Social/political breakdown Mosquito-borne-disease: Water Management Breeding is also influenced by: Water hoarding/storage: d) Rainwater tanks e) Uncovered containers Dams, Irrigation and Groundwater recharge 16