Global warming worries the scientific community: “We cannot wait for the pandemic to pass to face it”

As the whole world worries about overcoming the health crisis triggered by the coronavirus pandemic around the planet, the medical and scientific community is watching what is happening with climate change on a global level with no less concern.

“Health is already being damaged by rising global temperatures and destruction of the natural world, a situation that healthcare professionals have been calling attention to for decades.”, assured of specialists in document published today in 233 international scientific journalsincluding The BMJ, The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, East African Medical Journal, Chinese Science Bulletin, National Medical Journal of India and Australian Medical Journal, among others.

“The science is unequivocal; a global increase of 1.5 ° C above the pre-industrial average and continued loss of biodiversity pose the risk of catastrophic health damage that will be impossible to reverse – they warned -. Despite the world’s necessary concern over COVID-19, we cannot wait for the pandemic to pass to reduce emissions quickly”.

The editorial was released to the United Nations General Assembly next week, one of the last international meetings to take place ahead of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November and was coordinated by the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, a coalition of the UK’s leading health organizations.

In the article, Experts called on governments to do their utmost to stay below a global increase in the planet’s temperature of 1.5 ° C and to protect the environment in order to avoid a catastrophe for global health.

And that can only be achieved if richer countries act faster and do more to help countries already experiencing higher temperatures, they said. “2021 must be the year when the world changes course, our health depends on it”, they assured.

Global warming is a threat to health. In addition to the problems directly related to pollution, The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that this will lead to the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria, cholera or dengue fever to many other parts of the planet..

Likewise, high heat will lead to an increase in cardiovascular disease and many other respiratory problems such as allergies or asthma will appear, also due to air pollution in cities.

Health professionals and health journals warned for decades of the severe and growing effects of climate change, including extreme temperatures, destructive weather events and degradation of critical ecosystems.

“The impact of climate change disproportionately affects the most vulnerable people in society, including children and the elderly, ethnic minorities, the poorest communities and people with underlying health problems.” , they published.

The editorial urges world leaders to transform societies and economies by supporting the overhaul of transportation systems, cities, food production and distribution, and markets for financial investments and health systems. “It will require a substantial investment, but it will have huge positive benefits,” they argued, “including reducing air pollution, increasing physical activity, and improving housing and living conditions. food “..

“Global warming is also contributing to the decline in the overall yield potential of major crops, falling between 1.8% and 5.6% since 1981; this, combined with the effects of extreme weather and soil depletion, is hampering efforts to reduce malnutrition, ”the experts noted in the document. For them, “Thriving ecosystems are essential for human health, and the widespread destruction of nature, including habitats and species, erodes food and water security and increases the potential for pandemics.”.

And after acknowledging that “the consequences of the environmental crisis fall disproportionately on the countries and communities that have contributed least to the problem and least able to mitigate the damage”, they said that “no country, however rich, can protect itself from these shocks. Letting the consequences fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable will generate more conflict, food insecurity, forced displacement and zoonotic diseases, with serious implications for all countries and communities ”.

“As with the COVID-19 pandemic, globally we are only as strong as our weakest member,” they stressed.

Already at the beginning of August, The report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) drew attention and spoke of “the extreme urgency to act now”, According to the vice-president of the European Commission, the Dutchman Frans Timmermans, who believes that there is still time to stop the trend of global warming.

“It is not too late to stop the trend and avoid an uncontrollable spiral of climate change, provided we act with determination now and all together”Timmermans, in charge of the European Green Deal, said in a tweet.

Days later, data released by the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) became known that July became the hottest month on record in world history.

This new record “adds to the worrying trajectory that climate change has mapped out for the world,” experts suggested at the time.

According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, “the risks posed by climate change could eclipse those of any disease. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report shows that every fraction of a degree warmer puts our health and our future at risk. Likewise, every action taken to limit emissions and global warming brings us closer to a healthier and more secure future ”.

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