Essay climate change and life expectancy
Climate change and global warming is a serious threat the world is facing, which is reducing the average life expectancy. What are some causes of this? How can governments and healthcare sectors solve this problem?
Despite the well-known impact of climate change on the world, there is a global concern about its effects on human health and life expectancy. This essay aims to explore the main causes of the decrease in life expectancy due to global warming and possible solutions to this problem.
As temperatures rise, droughts, floods, storms, and heatwaves become more frequent, and these climate events can cause populations around the world to suffer from diseases transmitted by vectors such as malaria, which is common in tropical countries. Unfortunately, many people living in these areas are below the poverty line and lack access to healthcare resources. Therefore, the number of deaths due to inequality of access will increase exponentially in the future.
Another possible cause of decreased life expectancy is the lack of food security. A balanced diet is crucial for maintaining a healthy body, but if temperatures continue to increase, many crops will disappear, and the variety of vegetables and fruits that enhance our health will be limited or unavailable to us. This lack of nutrient diversity can threaten people's survival and lead to health issues such as diabetes and cancer.
Governments can contribute to decreasing the burden of diseases caused by natural disasters and vector-transmitted diseases related to climate change by implementing policies that reduce the overproduction of minerals and the overexploitation of non-renewable resources such as oil. By doing so, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced, and the healthcare system can allocate more resources to treating critical diseases.
Global organizations are making efforts to highlight the importance of social security in terms of food availability and are supporting financially the reduction of the impact of climate change on farmers. Landless farmers who almost entirely depend on the agricultural sector in regions where rainfall is scarce are at risk of food insecurity. It is desirable that organizations invest efforts and funds to prevent the lack of food security and illnesses related to malnutrition or a diet based on a higher content of calories.
In conclusion, global warming is affecting human health by transmitting diseases and decreasing the availability of food, putting the number of years lived by people at risk. However, governments and healthcare decision-makers can significantly decrease mortality rates by implementing policies that reduce disease transmission and increase funds to support farmers.