World News | UK Agency Warns of Health Impacts of Climate Change
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released a detailed analysis of the potential health impact of climate change, including infectious diseases associated with tropical countries making inroads into England in the next few decades.
London, Dec 12 (PTI) The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has released a detailed analysis of the potential health impact of climate change, including infectious diseases associated with tropical countries making inroads into England in the next few decades.
The ‘Health Effects of Climate Change' report demonstrates that the evidence base on the health effects of climate change has grown significantly, with health threats from heat, mosquitos, flooding and food security becoming more significant in the near future for the UK.
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Many infectious diseases are highly climate sensitive, and with warmer temperatures it is increasingly likely that England will see the introduction and establishment of a number of invasive mosquito species in the UK – with tropical diseases such as dengue fever, chikungunya virus and zika virus among those emerging by the 2040s and 2050s.
“The evidence is clear – climate change is not solely a future health threat. Health impacts are already being felt domestically and globally, and these risks will accelerate,” said Dr Lea Berrang Ford, Head of Centre for Climate and Health Security at UKHSA.
“Temperatures will likely continue to increase until at least mid-century, irrespective of the amount by which we decarbonise in the decades to come. Many current working-age adults will be over 65 years and potentially highly vulnerable to the health impacts of increased temperatures. A child born today will be in their working-age years when health impacts may peak or accelerate further, depending on how much we decarbonise now,” she said.
The climate modelling scenario indicates that London could experience endemic dengue transmission by 2060 and the risk of establishment of Aedes albopictus mosquito species associated with the disease in the UK is of great concern for public health, the UKHSA said.
“In the UK, many of the anticipated adverse impacts on health are still avoidable through mitigation measures, while others are preventable if the necessary adaptation measures are introduced. Therefore it is critical that the evidence in this report is used to inform policy and action,” said Professor Isabel Oliver, Chief Scientific Officer at UKHSA.
Evidence of substantial variation in geographic and social vulnerability to heat and cold highlights that there is scope for interventions to be targeted to improve the resilience of places and communities.
The report sets out that the greatest opportunity for health in the context of climate change comes from the potential to align health goals with the UK's decarbonisation agenda. If these health goals are embedded in decarbonisation strategies, there is the potential to generate a range of health benefits, particularly through air quality, food, housing and transport.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)