Experts fear major health threat for climate change
Climate change needs to be considered as a major health threat since it directly affects food, nutrition, water and livelihoods, said speakers at a meeting yesterday.
Diarrhoea, malnutrition, malaria, dengue and water and food-borne diseases may spread alarmingly in regions vulnerable to climate change, they said.
However, these speculations were based on information available at present and may prove wrong, they said.
The meeting was organised in the capital's Cirdap auditorium to disseminate findings of a baseline survey, “Risk reduction and climate change impact on health sector in Bangladeshâ€.
The Climate Change and Health Promotion Unit of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and The University of Newcastle, Australia jointly conducted the survey.
Dr Iqbal Kabir, the study's principal investigator, said Bangladesh, particularly the vulnerable population in the coastal region, was not yet ready to face the health risks of climate change due to a lack of awareness.
In a keynote presentation, he also stressed the need to further strengthen school health promotions and primary healthcare services in community clinics to reduce risks of diarrhoea, dengue, pneumonia, typhoid, malaria and childhood malnutrition.
Prof Syed Modasser Ali, the prime minister's health adviser, as chief guest, said developed countries, being responsible for climate change, should assist developing nations to cope with the health problems.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments