Climate change and your health: hidden Risks

BORNALI BORAH

Climate change is not only an environmental issue—it’s a public health problem.

When we think about climate change, we generally picture glaciers melting, sea levels rising, and bad weather.

However, behind the surface exists a more subdued crisis—one that directly impacts our health in ways that many do not readily acknowledge.

Recent research connects 37% of heat-related mortality to human-induced climate change. Heat-related fatalities among individuals over 65 have climbed by 70% in two decades. In 2020, 98 million more suffered food insecurity compared to the 1981–2010 average.

The WHO conservatively forecasts 250 000 more yearly fatalities by the 2030s owing to climate change impacts on diseases like malaria and coastal flooding.

Climate change has a big impact on people’s health because it makes more people sick and die from heat-related illnesses, respiratory disorders, and the spread of infectious diseases.Researchers, health professionals, and organisations all believe that climate change is the biggest threat to world health in the 21st century.

Climate-related phenomena such as wildfires, floods, and droughts are escalating in both frequency and intensity. These calamities can precipitate enduring mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Individuals who have not been personally impacted may yet suffer.

Warming temperatures are modifying ecosystems and expanding the habitats of mosquitoes, ticks, and other disease-carrying species. This shift implies diseases like malaria, dengue, Zika virus, and Lyme disease are appearing in new places, posing threats to populations with no past exposure or immunity.

More Individual may be at danger from waterborne diseases like cholera and other gastrointestinal ailments as a result of flooding and warmer water temperatures. However, there is typically less clean water accessible during droughts, and toxins can collect in the remaining water, making it considerably more difficult for people to find safe drinking water.

Rising temperatures fuel wildfires and raise ground-level ozone, both of which affect air quality. Poor air can cause respiratory disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, and even heart disease. Allergy seasons are also increasing longer and more acute due to increased pollen output.

Understanding these hidden health dangers is the first step toward safeguarding ourselves and our communities. Action at both the individual and policy levels is necessary to reduce these hazards before they become uncontrollable.

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