More frequent drought changes the environment for spores and fungi, some of which cause disease. Health effects of climate change can take many forms, as the warmer weather in some regions f.i. creates opportunities for parasites and insects (for instance, malaria will spread), while colder weather elsewhere can allow viruses to spread due to weaker immune systems.
"In 2030 the estimated risk of diarrhoea will be up to 10% higher in some regions than if no climate change occurred"
Studies have been conducted to estimate the life years lost due to climate change in different regions. DALY’s counted in the image below are years of life not lived or lived in disability. A completely healthy population living it’s normal lifespan would count zero DALY’s
(source)
So according to the above image 3 in one thousand people in Africa lose a year of their life being sick or dead, while in the Europe it would be 9 in one million.
Nine reasons stated by the WHO :
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changes in air pollution and aeroallergen levels
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altered transmission of other infectious diseases
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effects on food production via climatic influences on plant pests and diseases
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drought and famine
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population displacement due to natural disasters, crop failure, water shortages
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destruction of health infrastructure in natural disasters
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conflict over natural resources
- direct impacts of heat and cold (morbidity).
"global warming is already causing more deaths around the world" (NYT)