Health Impacts

How Does Climate Change Pose Human Health Risks?

Climate change is a pressing risk to human health. Global warming results in a multitude of health-related challenges. Rising temperatures can lead to more frequent and severe heat waves, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses and even heatstroke, especially among vulnerable populations. Changes in climate patterns can extend the transmission of seasons of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and Lyme disease. Additionally, extreme weather events like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires can have direct and indirect health consequences, including injuries, mental health issues, and disruptions to healthcare services. Climate change can also influence air quality, leading to increased respiratory problems due to a rise in allergens, air pollution, and wildfires. Waterborne diseases may become more prevalent with changing precipitation patterns and flooding. Vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing health conditions, are particularly at risk. Adapting to these health impacts requires public health preparedness, improved healthcare infrastructure, and community resilience strategies to protect individuals from the growing physical risks associated with climate change.

Heat-Related Deaths

Climate change brings forth global warming, which escalates global temperatures over time. This can pose a threat to human health, making heat due to climate change an important risk to explore. Increased heat can negatively impact health, ecosystems, and society.

Depicts Death Rate (per million people) due to Heat-Related Deaths Due to Climate Change In the US (CDC, 2020)

Year	Underlying and Contributing Causes of Death (May-Sept)	Underlying Cause of Death (all year)
1979	0.24038954
1980	2.87259485
1981	0.48804399
1982	0.32369244
1983	0.87260877
1984	0.39419784
1985	0.47477852
1986	0.57038206
1987	0.62295006
1988	0.85836222
1989	0.38056409
1990	0.59054617
1991	0.39116818
1992	0.26110021
1993	0.46149473
1994	0.38367814
1995	1.36643512
1996	0.45262168
1997	0.35193625
1998	0.81512038
1999	2.128725783	3.612383146
2000	1.069568479	1.620342945
2001	1.052746254	1.730013011
2002	1.216861417	1.967838749
2003	0.941029076	1.299516342
2004	0.771843958	0.898207791
2005	1.576899577	2.219841465
2006	2.084590735	3.173806151
2007	1.025790133	1.656534876
2008	0.973383339	1.443632722
2009	1.147433731	1.603799419
2010	1.535244859	2.400034685
2011	1.883874285	3.087371487
2012	1.509967506	2.507055753
2013	1.176735413	1.939082818
2014	0.765233183	1.088261945

Summer Deaths Due to Heat and Cardiovascular Disease in the US Between 1999-2018 (CDC, 2020)

Year	Crude summer death rate per million, general population	Crude summer death rate per million, age 65+ population	Crude summer death rate per million, non-white population	Crude summer death rate per million, non-Hispanic black population
1999	1.082281458	5.977382332	2.244183979	3.139198754
2000	0.3695519	2.200518505	0.79865757	1.054377105
2001	0.477244969	2.833640561	0.701072408	0.925967782
2002	0.563232999	3.012200227	0.983217443	1.359226921
2003	0.224054542	1.059572247	0.272812286	0.384380902
2004	0.078550491	0.276217769	0.053442342	0.027137785
2005	0.382381228	2.155537119	0.610505892	0.858582455
2006	0.777532235	3.955429361	1.160911938	1.643712356
2007	0.371807427	1.744844928	0.56817822	0.838032009
2008	0.322268808	1.598860332	0.572572904	0.802033896
2009	0.299897452	1.564740837	0.416782244	0.511445969
2010	0.5149872	2.384027966	0.852781516	1.369267893
2011	0.77665686	3.551227214	1.085311937	1.627241688
2012	0.618003578	2.665408532	0.806826213	1.163614382
2013	0.446020681	1.879023375	0.479154238	0.661730873
2014	0.137992869	0.605494285	0.073285211	0.096813577
2015	0.308009344	1.193446047	0.345106418	0.478726782
2016	0.495160559	2.030696207	0.454386039	0.73561396
2017	0.429818105	1.76960947	0.320407768	0.281529141
2018	0.565459703	2.326859128	0.509619425	0.675442355

Air Pollution Impacts on Human Health

Not only is heat a major concern, so is air pollution caused by climate change and greenhouse gases. Pollutants in air are harmful to human health. Industrial activity, fossil fuel burning, and emissions from vehicles are some examples of harmful pollutants. These pollutants can lead to various diseases upon inhalation. A study conducted in Gujarat, India depicts the increase in air pollutants over time and compares urban and rural areas.

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Depicts airborne particulate matter in an upward trend over time in urban areas.

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Depicts airborne particulate matter in an upward trend over time in rural areas.