Climate, health go hand in hand

When people talk about climate change, they often use the word “rising” to describe the environmental impact – rising temperatures, rising sea levels, rising fossil fuel emissions.
The problem with this description is that it fails to mention people and the profound impact that climate change has on them and their health.
According to the UN Climate Change summit (COP23) in
2017, the UN and WHO (World Health Organisation) came up with a rule that “no one is allowed to talk about climate change without talking about health”.
Climate change is much more than an environmental issue.
It poses a serious threat to our health and survival.
It impacts all of us no matter where we live.
Health of humanity is directly related to the health of our environment for everything we have – the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.
Climate change causes an extreme weather event that causes damage to our lives and livelihoods.
Climate change fuels the spread of infectious disease such as malaria, dengue, cholera, and the Coronavirus (Covid-19); it also increases the risk of non-communicable disease by polluting the air, food and water that sustain life, it also increases respiratory and cardiovascular disease, injuries and premature deaths related to extreme weather events.
People are feeling its impact right now in many parts of the country.
The Department of Conservation and Climate Change and the Department of Health must collaborate and work together for the health and wellbeing of the people of PNG.
We must draw attention to provinces and support communities by involving them in conservation and ecosystem restoration programmes. And work with health leaders to prepare for climate risks through preparedness and prevention policies to build climate proof health systems in PNG.
The Government must make sure by 2030 all health systems in Papua New Guinea will be able to withstand climate change and its impacts on health.

Wesley Karl Mawe
Researcher