World Health Day Takes on Global Warming

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The World Health Organization is taking on the health risks presented by climate change today as part of <a id="eds5" href="http://www.who.int/world-health-day/en/" title="World Health Day">World Health Day</a>. The WHO <a id="mgvy" href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKSP24314620080407?sp=true" title="has launched">has launched</a> a $10 million program to help governments develop strategies to target climate change from a health perspective. <br id="klx6" />

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When we think about the effects of climate change on humans, we worry about natural disasters — floods, drought, heat waves, etc. But changes in weather patterns are also directly affect health, especially in developing areas. WHO scientists <a id="ieg1" href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKSP24314620080407?sp=true" title="say">say</a> that climate change is already definitely causing spikes in diseases like malaria and dengue fever. Increases in both malaria and dengue fever can be attributed at least in part to mosquitoes migrating to cooler climates from the tropics, says Shigeru Omi, director of the WHO Western Pacific office. The mosquitoes are adapting to changes in rainfall and temperature patterns. So mosquitoes carrying malaria have been found in areas that previously had no malaria.<br id="sku6" />

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Omi says there are about 150,000 more deaths each year from malaria, diarrhea, malnutrition and floods that can be traced to global warming. Many of the 50 million cases of dengue fever each year can also be attributed to climate change, he says. <br id="p47b" />

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director <a id="po7p" href="../../../view/independence-of-cdc" title="Dr. Julie Gerberding">Dr. Julie Gerberding</a> is scheduled to talk about the health effects of climate change <a id="hjai" href="http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2008/03/31/daily35.html" title="today">today</a> at University of Albany’s School of Public Health.</p>