written by ; Faith Jemosop.
The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat confined to polar ice caps or future generations; it’s already claiming lives, overwhelming hospitals, and worsening health disparities around the world. From deadly heat waves to rising disease outbreaks, climate change is creating a global health emergency that we can no longer afford to ignore. As temperatures rise and weather patterns shift, the link between a warming planet and human suffering becomes more urgent and undeniable.
There are several contributing factors:
1. Climate Change Fuels the Spread of Diseases
Climate change creates ideal conditions for the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and Zika. As temperatures warm and rainfall patterns shift, disease-carrying mosquitoes and ticks expand into new territories, putting millions at risk. The World Health Organization (WHO) projects that between 2030 and 2050, climate change could contribute to 250,000 additional deaths annually, mostly from heat stress, malnutrition, malaria, and diarrhoea.
Warmer winters allow disease vectors to survive longer, while flooding increases exposure to waterborne pathogens like cholera and typhoid.
2. Heatwaves and Pollution Worsen Respiratory Illnesses
Increased temperatures don’t just cause heat stroke they also worsen air quality. Higher heat levels accelerate the formation of ground-level ozone, a major trigger for asthma and other respiratory conditions. Wildfires, intensified by climate change, contribute to dangerous levels of particulate matter in the air, further burdening lungs and hearts.
Read: Africa Summit Calls for Global Climate Action and Investment
In 2023, heatwaves across Southern Europe and North America caused thousands of deaths, especially among the elderly and those with pre existing conditions. Children, outdoor workers, and the urban poor are especially vulnerable to these twin threats of heat and pollution.
3 .Disasters Destroy Health Systems
Floods, hurricanes, and wildfires are not just devastating, they cripple health infrastructure. Clinics are washed away, supply chains are cut off, and medical personnel are displaced. The aftermath of such events often includes spikes in disease, trauma, and untreated chronic illnesses.
For example, in Malawi and Mozambique, Cyclone Freddy in 2023 wiped out dozens of rural health centres, leaving communities without access to vaccinations, maternal care, or clean water. These events are happening more often and with greater intensity, stretching public health systems to their limits.
4. Climate Change Is Causing Hunger and Malnutrition
Shifting rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, and extreme weather are undermining global food security. In East Africa, prolonged droughts have reduced crop yields, killed livestock, and pushed millions toward famine. Malnutrition especially among children is increasing as staple foods become scarce or unaffordable.
Studies show that increased CO₂ levels in the atmosphere reduce the nutritional quality of key crops like rice and wheat, lowering their protein and micronutrient content. This means that even when food is available, it may lack essential nutrients.
5. Water Scarcity and Sanitation Failures
Water is central to health and climate change is making it dangerously scarce in many parts of the world. Droughts dry up rivers and aquifers. Floods contaminate clean water sources. Poor infrastructure in informal settlements means that access to safe drinking water and sanitation becomes even harder to maintain.
As a result, diarrheal diseases, already a leading killer of children under five, are on the rise. In areas where toilets are shared or non existent, or where water must be fetched from far away, people especially women and children bear the brunt of climate induced water stress.
6. Mental Health
Climate change harms mental health often in more subtle, long-term ways. Disasters, displacement, and ecological loss lead to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Farmers facing repeated crop failures report rising suicide rates, especially in countries like India.
Youth around the world are also expressing climate anxiety, a deep, persistent fear about the future of the planet. Studies show that many young people feel hopeless and betrayed by governments’ inaction on climate change, contributing to emotional distress and feelings of powerlessness.
7. Disproportionate Impacts on Vulnerable Populations
Climate change does not affect everyone equally. Those with the least resources and lowest emissions including the global South, Indigenous communities, and urban slums are hit hardest.
Women are more likely to face food insecurity and health complications during pregnancy due to heat or pollution. Children are more susceptible to disease and malnutrition. The elderly and disabled often cannot evacuate or adapt to extreme weather.
This deepens existing health and social inequalities, turning the climate crisis into a justice issue as much as a medical one.
Read: Cholera Cases Surge in West and Central Africa Amid Climate Crisis
Health systems must climate-proof their infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce. This includes building resilient health centres, training health workers in climate-related disease management, and investing in early warning systems for heatwaves and outbreaks.
Cutting emissions is also a health solution. Phasing out fossil fuels improves air quality. Promoting plant-based diets boosts both personal health and sustainability. Encouraging active transport like cycling reduces heart disease while lowering carbon footprints.
