Unpacking the first ever COP ‘Health Day’

Unpacking the first ever COP ‘Health Day’

Subject :Environment

Section: International Convention

COP28:

• Hosted by the UAE, focused on the link between climate change and public health crises.
• Emphasized the severe health threats posed by climate change, particularly impacting marginalized communities and low- to middle-income countries.
• Highlighted the need for an accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels for global health.

Climate Change and Health:

• Heat-Related Illnesses: Rising global temperatures cause severe and frequent heatwaves, leading to conditions like heatstroke, dehydration, and heat exhaustion, resulting in higher illness and death rates.
• Vector-Borne Diseases: Climate changes affect disease carriers like mosquitoes and ticks, expanding diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and Lyme disease due to warmer temperatures and altered precipitation patterns.
• Waterborne Diseases: Altered rain patterns and flooding impact water quality, spreading diseases like cholera and dysentery.
• Air Quality and Respiratory Issues: Intensified wildfires due to climate change release harmful pollutants, worsening respiratory conditions and increasing respiratory illnesses.
• Extreme Weather Events: Hurricanes, floods, and storms become more frequent and intense, causing injuries, displacements, and disruptions to healthcare, making it challenging to respond to health crises.
• Food Security and Nutrition: Changing weather patterns affect crop yields, leading to food shortages, malnutrition, and insecurity.
• Psychological Stress: Natural disasters and extreme weather events contribute to anxiety and depression due to displacement, property loss, and uncertainty about the future.
• Reduced Access to Clean Water: Shifts in precipitation and increased evaporation cause water scarcity, leading to waterborne diseases and hygiene-related health problems.
• Disproportionate Impact on Vulnerable Groups: Vulnerable communities like the elderly, children and low-income groups suffer more due to limited resources, inadequate healthcare, and exacerbated health disparities.
• Displacement and Conflict: Climate-induced events force people to relocate, exposing them to health risks due to poor living conditions, lack of healthcare, and potential conflicts over resources.

Health Day and Initiatives:

• Inaugural Health Day underscored the importance of health in climate decisions.
• Leaders urged for prioritizing health in climate talks, leading to the COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health supported by 143 countries, not signed by India.
• A key pillar of the declaration is the commitment to partner with women, girls, children, and youth.
• A climate-health ministerial brought together global ministers to discuss a roadmap for addressing climate-related health impacts.

India’s Climate Challenges:

• India has experienced a surge in extreme weather events impacting lives, crops, homes, and livestock.
• Rising air pollution, and health challenges like malaria and malnutrition, pose threats to India’s public health infrastructure.
• The Reserve Bank of India highlighted potential economic risks linked to heat-related challenges.

Need for Health Integration in India’s Climate Planning:

• Over 700 million people reliant on climate-sensitive sectors for livelihoods.
• Integrating health into climate planning is crucial for immediate threat mitigation, resilience building, and sustainable development.
• Economic benefits include reduced healthcare costs, increased productivity, and effective climate actions.

Source: The Hindu