Eulalee Thompson

The theme for World Health Day on April 7is 'Protecting health from climate change'

Jamaica's policy statement to the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, last October, at the very least indicates an ongoing governmental awareness of global warming and climate change. Dr Kenneth Baugh, deputy prime minister and foreign trade minister who delivered the address said:"Implementing a global response to climate change must remain a priority as we seek consensus for combating global warming beyond 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol expires. As we prepare for the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali, Indonesia, we are encouraged that the recent high level event on climate change and the General Assembly informal debate on climate change reinforced the urgency with which issues pertaining to environmental sustainability have to be tackled."

He also pointed to vulnerability of small island developing states, more commonly known as SIDS, in this growing fallout from climate change and the principle of common but differentiated application of responsibility in global warming and climate change.

The fact is that SIDS, such as Jamaica, account for less than one per cent of greenhouse gas emissions (which are responsible for global warming) but, as stated before, are quite vulnerable to sea level rise and other hazards of climate change.

Our greenhouse

You may be wondering why The Gleaner's Health section is writing about climate change and until a few years ago, who would have thought that the subject would become an increasingly important health issue. However, issues of global warming and climate change have stepped centrestage of the health agenda. It's no wonder then that World Health Day's theme, observed next Monday, April 7, is 'protecting health from climate change.' Since it's now about our health, all of us need to become acquainted with the climate change and environmental 'lingo'.

As I pointed out in my last article on climate change, "The climate is changing and so is our health", (November 14, 2007), the changing climate is the result of human activities, some say directly the result of the Industrial Revolution which ushered in about 200 years ago a large appetite for using fossil fuels such as coal and oil. This coupled with issues such as deforestation caused increasing concentration of 'greenhouse gases' (for the gardening enthusiasts, these are really trapped gases that behave like the glass panels of a greenhouse). Greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, preventing it from escaping into space; the result is increasingly warmer temperatures.

Measuring climatic temperatures

In fact, the people who measure climatic temperatures (like NOAA and NASA) say that 11 of the last 12 years rank among the 12 warmest years on record (since 1850). The years 1988 and 2005 were ranked as the two warmest years.

Warmer temperatures trigger a series of ecological and environmental changes and since nature is interrelated (living actually doesn't occur in compartments, you see it is complex) these changes will affect our health in many ways. I can quickly mention that the US Environmental Protection Agency states for instance that climate change may increase the risk of some infectious iseases, particularly those diseases that appear in warm areas and are spread by mosquitoes and other insects. These vector-borne diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis.

Poor air quality

Air quality is also another one of my favourite topics. (I would like to be able to drive all the time with my windowsdown and not suffocate and choke on poisonous carbon monoxide gas, that thick, black smoke coming from motor vehicles; if only the relevant authorities would see to this).

But on the issue of air quality, I really wanted to say that global warming will and is affecting it and is linked to the exacerbation of respiratory conditions.Our physical health and mental health are also affected by these increasingly virulent weather systems, hurricanes, floods, and so on. (I mean after Hurricane Gilbert, hurricanes just stopped being fun).

Small steps add up

For World Health Day, Pan American Health Organisation's focus, I see, is on mitigation of health risk from global warming. They say that 'mitigation and adaptation must occur in civil society, industry, government, and other sectors and must be done in an intercultural way and by increasing citizen awareness.'

Mitigation steps include, they say, walking, cycling and using 'mass transportation' to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and in the process you will manage your weight, reduce social isolation, depression and osteoporosis risks.

eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com