Pathways of intersection between climate extremes and health risk

Climate change can lead to a multitude of deleterious effects. These include increase in frequency and severity of heat waves, decline in cold-related mortality, increase in floods and droughts, malnutrition, and changes in the distribution of vector-borne infectious diseases. Climate change adaptation, its mitigation, and human health are intricately linked. Current human activities like urbanization, deforestation, and energy usage will put enormous strain on natural ecosystems, accelerating climate change and having consequences for human health. Yet another harmful environmental element is the loss of biodiversity. The functioning of ecosystems and services that are vital to our health, such as food systems and nontoxic places to live in, is supported by biodiversity. This acknowledges the interdependence and tight relationship among the health of people, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the larger (planetary) environment. Hence, the well-being of the former depends on the well-being of the latter. It is necessary to stop the degradation of flora and fauna that make up the living systems of Earth. All of humanity will be impacted by the effects of climate change. However, as with other social parameters, inequity will result in inequality. Depending on their capacity to adjust to the stressors, different people, societies, and countries will suffer the negative health effects of climate change to varying degrees. A comprehensive plan must prioritize human health, via adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. We must take action, especially to address the issues at their source, particularly at the ecosystem levels. In the context of climate change and health, it is time to activate that old proverb: “Prevention is better than cure.”