Dera Ismail Khan was deeply affected by the massive floods recent years that have killed and displaced thousands, destroyed livelihoods, and damaged infrastructure.
The dynamics of this disaster was such that the life losses were less but the effects on human life was unimaginable leaving a large number of population especially women and children at high risk since the basic Public Services like Health, education and Water supply schemes are simply unavailable owing to the destruction of infrastructure at mass scale throughout the District.
In D I Khan District the health impacts as reported by the District Health Office included gastrointestinal illness like diarrhea, effects on the bodies nervous and respiratory systems, or liver and kidney damage. Under-resourced and marginalized populations were most at risk from the effects of climate change.
Climate change has the potential to affect both environmental and social determinants of health i.e. safe drinking water, clean air, sufficient food, and secure shelter. This may play out through extreme heat events, natural disasters, and variable rainfall patterns. Heat wave events are projected to increase both in frequency and duration.. In Pakistan, heat waves are common in the pre monsoon months (May–June) in the plains of the country. The variations in rainfall and temperature were correlated with the spread of different infectious diseases and food security. Similarly, extreme events were correlated with the mental health of the affected population, i.e., extreme events generally cause depression, distress, aggression, etc. With the rise of temperature, the risk of water-borne and vector-borne diseases also increases. Higher numbers of dengue and malaria cases are due to changes in temperature and heavy precipitation, possibly resulting in the increased number of breeding sites for mosquitoes, health professionals said .
Talking to APP, Dr. Abdur Rehman Health expert and professor at DHQ Teaching Hospital DI Khan said that climate change has many negative impacts on health, People in developing countries may be the most vulnerable to health risks globally. Heat waves, storms, and floods can lead to death and illness, climate change can disrupt food systems and reduce access to safe water and food, leading to malnutrition and diarrheal diseases.
Rising temperatures and wildfires can increase ozone and particulate matter, which can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Climate change can cause or exacerbate stress and mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and violent suicides. High temperatures and air pollution can lead to adverse birth outcomes, such as preterm birth and stillbirth, he added .
According to the health expert, climate change can increase the risk of exposure to bacteria that cause Lyme disease, and to Vibrio vulnificus, which causes waterborne illnesses. Some effects of climate change are less direct and involve shifts in our environment that, in turn, can affect human health. For example, changes in temperatures and rainfall can affect the lifecycles of insects that transmit Lyme disease and West Nile virus, leading to new or varied outbreaks. Rising sea levels can worsen the flooding from hurricanes in coastal areas, leading to more people exposed to contaminated water, pollutants, and hazardous wastes. Climate fluctuations often occur with other health stressors, such as poverty, social disadvantage, and impaired language ability, to increase vulnerability. Under-resourced and marginalized populations are most at risk, the health professional said.
People with low incomes live with many factors that increase their vulnerability to the health effects of climate. They experience relatively more chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular, respiratory, and kidney diseases, all of which may be amplified by climate change.
Older adults are a population of concern for climate change impacts from extreme heat and weather events, degraded air quality, vector-borne diseases, and other factors. Meanwhile, Severe climate change may also affect the health of outdoor workers through increases in ambient temperature, degraded air quality, extreme weather, vector-borne diseases, industrial exposures, and altered built environment.
Many factors, such as economic status, nutrition and diet, living conditions, geographic location, and stage of development, will affect children’s exposure to health threats due to climate change in the District. Climate-related exposures may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, preterm birth, and risks to newborns and infants, including increased neonatal death, dehydration, malnutrition, diarrhea, and respiratory diseases.
Ahmad Zeb Khan the climate expert associated with Serve organisation said that Pakistan, with the highest number of glaciers outside the Arctic Circle, faces significant vulnerability to floods and other water-related disasters. In almost all regions of Pakistan, the floods of 2022 have caused unprecedented destruction and have exceeded the floods of 2010. A significant portion of the population became homeless and lacked access to basic food and healthcare facilities. The floods had a significant impact on the socio-economic and health status of residents, particularly those with lower incomes depriving a large proportion of nutrition, health facilities, and property.
Nguồn bài viết : Seaside Club
