Investment in green technology and introduction of climate education in the curricula is the need of the hour to mitigate the impact of global warming, as this phenomenon is jeopardizing human health, especially of marginalized people, said ‘Life and Science’ journal in its latest editorial. The National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) published this scientific journal of international fame. According to the editorial, the footprint of climate change is becoming more extreme in South Asia; India, Pakistan and the Philippines are in the ‘high bracket’ of vulnerability assessment as reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The editorial said Pakistan, a negligible contributor to climate change,was severely hit by the recent heavy rainfall and floods, resulting in the loss of life and livelihood. Extreme weather conditions bring changes in the air quality, natural calamities, and vector ecology, which are negatively impacting human health, according to the editorial.

“Human exposure to intense heat is associated with heatstroke, adverse pregnancy outcomes (including premature birth), acute kidney injury, disturbed sleep patterns, mental health problems, cancers and worsening of underlying respiratory and cardiac diseases,” said the editorial. Life and Science, already added to the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) Journal Recognition System (HJRS), said catering to the needs of the disaster-affected population remained “a key challenge in terms of resource constraints, afflicted health systems, changing disease burden, provision of shelter and emergency relief items, delivering lifesaving and livelihood assistance, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs, prevention of disease outbreaks, addressing malnutrition, gender-based violence (GBV), psychosocial support (PSS), dignified protection, and family tracing.”

The editorial said climate hazards were increasing the burden on health services, already impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, co-epidemics (e.g. human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis) and the double burden of disease (communicable and non-communicable diseases). The recent 2022 UN Conference of the Parties (COP27) in its Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan has decided to provide “loss and damage” funding for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters, it said. The past seven years have been declared the warmest. The 1.5-degree climate target agreed upon at the Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris seems far out of reach, as the global mean surface temperature is projected to rise to a dangerous level between 1.5° Celsius and 3.5° Celsius by the end of this century. The climate stressors, it said, affect the most vulnerable and marginalized people, like the elderly, pregnant women, new-born babies, people who are socially deprived and people working outdoors.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk