DERA ISMAIL KHAN
\nDera Ismail Khan was deeply affected by the massive floods recent years that have killed and displaced thousands, destroyed livelihoods, and damaged infrastructure.
\nThe dynamics of this disaster was such that the life losses were less but the effects on human life was unimaginable leaving a large number of population especially women and children at high risk since the basic Public Services like Health, Education and Water supply schemes are simply unavailable owing to the destruction of infrastructure at mass scale throughout the District.
\nIn DIKhan District the health impacts as reported by the District Health Office included gastrointestinal illness like diarrhea, effects on the bodies nervous and respiratory systems, or liver and kidney damage. Under-resourced and marginalized populations were most at risk from the effects of climate change.
\nClimate change has the potential to affect both environmental and social determinants of health i.e. safe drinking water, clean air, sufficient food, and secure shelter. This may play out through extreme heat events, natural disasters, and variable rainfall patterns. Heat wave events are projected to increase both in frequency and duration.. In Pakistan, heat waves are common in the pre monsoon months (May\u2013June) in the plains of the country.
\nThe variations in rainfall and temperature were correlated with the spread of different infectious diseases and food security. Similarly, extreme events were correlated with the mental health of the affected population, i.e., extreme events generally cause depression, distress, aggression, etc. With the rise of temperature, the risk of water-borne and vector-borne diseases also increases. Higher numbers of dengue and malaria cases are due to changes in temperature and heavy precipitation, possibly resulting in the increased number of breeding sites for mosquitoes, health professionals said .
\nDr. Abdur Rehman Health expert and professor at DHQ Teaching hospital DIKhan said that Climate change has many negative impacts on health, People in developing countries may be the most vulnerable to health risks globally.
\nHeat waves, storms, and floods can lead to death and illness, climate change can disrupt food systems and reduce access to safe water and food, leading to malnutrition and diarrheal diseases.
\nRising temperatures and wildfires can increase ozone and particulate matter, which can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Climate change can cause or exacerbate stress and mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and violent suicides. High temperatures and air pollution can lead to adverse birth outcomes, such as preterm birth and stillbirth, he added .
\nAccording to the health expert, Climate change can increase the risk of exposure to bacteria that cause Lyme disease, and to Vibrio vulnificus, which causes waterborne illnesses. Some effects of climate change are less direct and involve shifts in our environment that, in turn, can affect human health. For example, changes in temperatures and rainfall can affect the lifecycles of insects that transmit Lyme disease and West Nile virus, leading to new or varied outbreaks. Rising sea levels can worsen the flooding from hurricanes in coastal areas, leading to more people exposed to contaminated water, pollutants, and hazardous wastes. Climate fluctuations often occur with other health stressors, such as poverty, social disadvantage, and impaired language ability, to increase vulnerability. Under-resourced and marginalized populations are most at risk, the health professional said.
\nPeople with low incomes live with many factors that increase their vulnerability to the health effects of climate. They experience relatively more chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular, respiratory, and kidney diseases, all of which may be amplified by climate change.
\nOlder adults are a population of concern for climate change impacts from extreme heat and weather events, degraded air quality, vector-borne diseases, and other factors. Meanwhile, Severe climate change may also affect the health of outdoor workers through increases in ambient temperature, degraded air quality, extreme weather, vector-borne diseases, industrial exposures, and altered built environment.
\nMany factors, such as economic status, nutrition and diet, living conditions, geographic location, and stage of development, will affect children\u2019s exposure to health threats due to climate change in the District. Climate-related exposures may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, preterm birth, and risks to newborns and infants, including increased neonatal death, dehydration, malnutrition, diarrhea, and respiratory diseases.
\nAhmad Zeb Khan the climate expert associated with Serve organisation said that Pakistan, with the highest number of glaciers outside the Arctic Circle, faces significant vulnerability to floods and other water-related disasters. In almost all regions of Pakistan, the floods of 2022 have caused unprecedented destruction and have exceeded the floods of 2010. A significant portion of the population became homeless and lacked access to basic food and healthcare facilities. The floods had a significant impact on the socio-economic and health status of residents, particularly those with lower incomes depriving a large proportion of nutrition, health facilities, and property.
\nClimate expert said that lack of planning causes more harm and losses, a higher chance of fatalities and injuries, lack of access to medical care, and inadequate disaster response systems, all of which can have a lasting effect on the quality of life in impacted areas.
\nThe climate expert suggested that Infrastructure and services must be provided to affected communities to enable them to receive support and assistance, Working closely with researchers, communities, and decision-makers, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is supporting research and developing strategies to help people and communities prepare for potential health impacts of climate change, while also protecting health and the environment for future generations. He suggested that to address the needs of individuals who lack access to health care facilities, we have to work on these objectives. First, Developing models to define and predict high-risk days to determine when those with heart disease are most vulnerable. Second, Investigating the impact of climate on the spread of disease in food and water. Third, Researching the effects of extreme weather events on pregnant women and fetuses. Fourth, Developing toolkits for sustainable and climate-resilient health care facilities. Fifth, Assisting with public development of informational resources and tools. Sixth, There is a need that federal government, international donor agencies and humanitarian organizations to work with broad-based and grassroot-level community organizations by providing financial support and modern technology, to identify research gaps and develop tools for decision-making. And Seventh, Developing climate change and health learning materials for a wide range of student audiences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DERA ISMAIL KHAN Dera Ismail Khan was deeply affected by the massive floods recent years that have killed and displaced thousands, destroyed livelihoods, and damaged infrastructure. The dynamics of this disaster was such that the life losses were less but the effects on human life was unimaginable leaving a large number of population especially women […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":453696,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-453677","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-peshawar"},"yoast_head":"\n