Why in News
In a report published by Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change(IPCC) , delivers a stark warning of infectious diseases due to climate change.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC)
The IPCC provides regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.
IPCC created in 1988 by World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
IPCC provides with scientific information that can use to develop climate policies for governments and organizations.
IPCC currently has 195 members.
Following depict the structure of IPCC
Climate change and Infectious diseases
Habitat loss forces animals to encroach upon human territory, thus escalate the risk of human-animal interaction and the transfer of pathogens from wildlife to humans.
Viruses which do not harm animals can be fatal for humans. Eg Nipha Virus.
An analysis of 2022 published in Nature Climate Change warns that humans now face a broader spectrum of infectious agent than ever before.
An analysis done by Nature Climate Change in 2022 warns that humans are facing now a broader spectrum of infectious agents than ever before.
Half of all-known infectious diseases threatening humans worsen with changing climate patterns.
Diseases often find new transmission routes, including environmental sources, medical tourism, and contaminated food and water from once-reliable sources.
India, in particular, has felt the ominous impact, with early summers and erratic monsoons causing water scarcity across the Gangetic plains and Kerala.
The climatic shifts are ending up with severe health crises, including a dengue epidemic in Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Kolkata and the Nipah outbreak in Kerala.
Growing risk posed to global health
Globally, there is an obsession with the enigmatic “Disease X”.
The WHO declared “Disease X” represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease.
Climate change is not limited to infectious diseases. It also exacerbates injuries and deaths from extreme weather events, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and mental health issues.
In the face of a changing climate and the growing threat of infectious diseases, protecting ecosystems, fostering collaboration, and embracing the One Health paradigm are our best defenses.
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