Klimatske promene i zdravlje ljudi

Abstract

Compared to the end of the 19th century, the average temperature of the earth's surface is higher by 1.1o C, and the last decade (2011-2020) was the warmest recorded since 1850. Mortality rate to high temperatures increases by 1-4% for each degree of increase in air temperature due to dehydration, heatstroke, and worsening of existing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and storms are associated with an increase in drowning, and injuries, psychological disorders, but also contamination of water and food with an increased risk of infectious diseases. Temperature changes affect the interaction of vectors and hosts, changes in ecosystems, and the existence of new species in a certain area, which leads to an increase in diseases transmitted by mosquitoes (malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and West Nile virus), ticks (Lyme disease), flies (leishmaniasis), snails (schistosomiasis), etc. Animal and plant diseases, in addition to natural disasters and pollution, further increase the reduction in the amount of food, which results in an increase in malnutrition of the human population, from which 3.5 million people die every year. Frequent fires (increase in fine particles 2.5-10 mm and dust) and chemical air pollution (increase in the concentration of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and fine particles smaller than 2.5 mm) cause an increase in diseases of the respiratory (asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer) and the cardiovascular system (arteriosclerosis, myocardial infarction, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism). The change in the pattern of plant vegetation, with the increase in the concentration of pollen in the air, leads to an increased incidence of allergic diseases, which will reach the level of a pandemic in 2050 with about four billion people suffering from asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. Exposure to algae biotoxins in marine animals, water, or air causes short-term memory disorders and worsening of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and chemical substances and heavy metals (released from destroyed warehouses in disasters or sewage spills) as well as insecticides and pesticides have immunotoxic, genotoxic and carcinogenic effect. Mental disorders that occur after natural disasters range from acute traumatic stress to chronic stress conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorders, depression, anxiety, psychosomatic disorders, sexual dysfunctions, and alcohol and drug abuse. The long-term effects of climate change (natural disasters, sea level rise, destruction of the economy, reduction of natural resources of food, water, fuel, risk of local wars) lead to migration, and by 2050 the migration of about 200 million people is expected.