Climate Change and Human Health Table 4. Climate-Related Health Impacts Implications of Climate Change ↑ exposure to thermal extremes ↑ extreme weather events (intensity and frequency) ↑ exposure to UV-B ↑ range and activity of existing and new infective agents (i.e., as foodborne, waterborne, vector-and rodent-borne agents) Sea-level rise Worsened air pollution (contaminants, pollens and spores) Agricultural Disruption Potential Health Impacts Direct Indirect ↑ rates of heat- and cold- related deaths and illnesses ↑ incidence and transmission of infectious diseases ↑ frequency and severity of injuries, deaths, and psychosocial disorders ↑ risks of skin cancer, burns, infectious diseases, eye damage (cataracts), immunosuppression ↑ exposure to new and existing vector-borne diseases; ↑ incidence of diarrheal and other infectious diseases; emergence of new diseases Psychosocial disruption ↑ incidence of respiratory diseases (i.e., asthma and allergies) and cardiovascular diseases; ↑ exposure to environmental contaminants and subsequent impacts to health development Malnutrition *Based on the study of Furgal, et al. 2002;20 ↑ = increased. Adapted from Furgal, et al. 2006;21 Haines et, al. 2004;8 Woodward, et al. 1998.22 Table 5. Potential Health Impacts of Climate-Induced Extreme Weather Events Event Type Above-average Rainfall Heavy Meteorological Precipitation event Flood Hydrological Description Potential Health Impact “extreme event” Flood Social Property or crops damaged Flood Catastrophic flood or “disaster” Flood leading to >10 killed, and/or 200 affected, and/or government call for external assistance. Increased mosquito abundance or decreased if breeding sites are washed away Changes in mosquito abundance; contamination of surface water with human or animal waste Changes in mosquito abundance; contamination of water with faecal matter and rodent urine (leptospirosis) Changes in mosquito abundance; contamination of water with faecal matter and rat urine and increased risk of respiratory and diarrhoeal disease; deaths (drowning); injuries; health effects associated with population displacement; loss of food supply; psychosocial impacts. Below-average Rainfall Drought Meteorological Drought Agricultural Drought Social Drought Food Shortage/ Famine/ Drought disaster River/ stream over tops its banks Evaporation exceeds water absorption; soil moisture decreases Drier than normal conditions leading to crop production Reduction in food supply or income, reduction in water supply and quality Food shortage leading to deaths; >10 killed and/or 200 affected, or government call for external assistance Changes in vector abundance if, for example, vector breeds in dried up river beds Depends on socioeconomic factors, i.e., other sources of food are available as well as the means to acquire them. Food shortage, illness, malnutrition, (increases risk of infection); Increased risk of disease associated with lack of water for hygiene Deaths (starvation, infection); malnutrition and associated poor health; stunting of physical and intellectual development of children; health impacts associated with population displacement. Adapted from: WHO, 2000;14 McMichael et. al., 2000. 23 Table 6. List of Climate- Sensitive Vector-borne Diseases Major Diseases Malaria Dengue fever Yellow fever Filariasis Leishmaniasis Chagas diseases African trypanosomiasis Onchocerciasis Schistosomiasis Vector Mosquito Mosquito Mosquito Mosquito Sandflies Triatomines Tsetse flies Black flies Snails (intermediate host) Likelihood of Change with Climate Change +++ ++ + + ++ + + + ++ Present Distribution Tropics and subtropics All tropical countries Tropical South America and Africa Tropics and Subtropics Asia, southern Europe, Africa, Americas Central and South America Tropical Africa Africa, Latin America Tropics and subtropics + likely; ++ very likely; +++ highly likely. Adapted from Haines et al. 20048 WHO, 2000. 14 94 ACTA MEDICA PHILIPPINA VOL. 50 NO. 2 2016