Climate Change To Cause 250,000 Deaths A Year In 2030, WHO

As leaders of 150 nations meet in Paris for a pivotal conference on climate change, the World Health Organization warned that by the year 2030, climate change will be causing at a minimum 250,000 additional deaths a year around the world.

Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Scientist and team leader climate change with the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, “As climate change progresses, we are expecting that it will cause increases in vector borne disease, in water borne diseases, in under nutrition, in heat stress and so on. Also, at the same time if we continue to use highly polluting energy systems, we will either maintain or increase the 7million deaths that we suffer every year from air pollution.”

He added. “Health is central to the climate change agreement. It was one of the three main motivations for writing the original treaty in 1992. And the reason that we are so concerned about the effects of climate change on health are that many of the largest disease problems that we face are highly sensitive to climate conditions. These include diseases such as malaria, such as undernutrition, and such as water borne diseases, diarrhoea and other water borne diseases. So as climate change progresses, it threatens to make all of these problems worse.”

The WHO scientist stressed, “One of the main things that countries can do is to strengthen their health systems, to protect populations from climate sensitive disease risks. We already have effective interventions against malaria for example, we have effective interventions to protect our water and sanitation systems and to protect children from diarrhoeal disease. What we need to do is to strengthen those systems and also particularly to take account of the climate risks to all of those diseases.”

Dr Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director-General, Family, Women and Children’s Health of the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized, “It is very important for countries to invest in policies that can actually at the same time, improve health and reduce emissions. Let me give you just one example. One important thing is for example in the transport arena, to look at ways of transports that enhancing physical activities, because we know that there are benefit for health, but also we know that we reduce emissions.”

Climate change is already causing tens of thousands of deaths every year from shifting patterns of disease, from extreme weather events, such as heat-waves and floods, and from the degradation of air quality, food and water supplies, and sanitation, according to the World Health Organization.

WHO considers the Paris treaty to be a significant public health treaty – one that has the potential to save lives worldwide. As the international community prepares to reach this international climate change agreement, WHO will host a series of side events to highlight the international health response to climate change.

STORY: WHO / CLIMATE CHANGE

SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
DATELINE: 27 NOVEMBER 2015, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - FILE
SHOTLIST
FILE - GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1.Exterior, wide shot, World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters

26 NOVEMBER 2015, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. SOUNDBITE (English)) Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Scientist and team leader climate change, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health Department, World Health Organization (WHO):
“As climate change progresses, we are expecting that it will cause increases in vector borne disease, in water borne diseases, in under nutrition, in heat stress and so on. And our estimates indicate that by the year 2030 that climate change will be causing at a minimum an additional 250,000 deaths a year around the world. Also, at the same time if we continue to use highly polluting energy systems, we will either maintain or increase the 7million deaths that we suffer every year from air pollution.”

FILE - AUGUST 2015, TANZANIA

3. Med shot, woman working in laboratory

26 NOVEMBER 2015, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

4. SOUNDBITE (English)) Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Scientist and team leader climate change, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health Department, World Health Organization (WHO):
“Health is central to the climate change agreement. It was one of the three main motivations for writing the original treaty in 1992. And the reason that we are so concerned about the effects of climate change on health are that many of the largest disease problems that we face are highly sensitive to climate conditions. These include diseases such as malaria, such as undernutrition, and such as water borne diseases, diarrhoea and other water borne diseases. So as climate change progresses, it threatens to make all of these problems worse.”

FILE - AUGUST 2015, TANZANIA

5. Med shot, woman collecting water at river

26 NOVEMBER 2015, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

6. SOUNDBITE (English)) Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Scientist and team leader climate change, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health Department, World Health Organization (WHO):
“One of the main things that countries can do is to strengthen their health systems, to protect populations from climate sensitive disease risks. We already have effective interventions against malaria for example, we have effective interventions to protect our water and sanitation systems and to protect children from diarrhoeal disease. What we need to do is to strengthen those systems and also particularly to take account of the climate risks to all of those diseases.”

FILE - NOVEMBER 2015, TANZANIA

7. Med shot, wind direction instrument

27 NOVEMBER 2015, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director-General, Family, Women and Children’s Health, World Health Organization (WHO):
“It is very important for countries to invest in policies that can actually at the same time, improve health and reduce emissions. Let me give you just one example. One important thing is for example in the transport arena, to look at ways of transports that enhancing physical activities, because we know that there are benefit for health, but also we know that we reduce emissions.”

FILE - NOVEMBER 2015, TANZANIA

9. Wide shot, house in a field

DURATION: 02:11