Climate change threatens the health of children

climate change will affect a number of factors: Crops, economic development, refugee flows. Large also the effects on health, especially in children, are around 100 researchers warn in a comprehensive report.

The climate change damage already today the health of many people, especially the children. In the case of a more economies as in the past, "will affect the lives of every child born profoundly by climate change," reports the consortium The Lancet, Countdown to belong to the approximately 100 experts.

children cool off in the American capital, Washington, D.C., during a heat wave in a fountain. Photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

half A month before the UN climate change conference in Madrid, experts from 35 institutions such as the world health organization (WHO) and universities in the specialized journal "The Lancet" the current and future impact of climate change on health to be accounted for. The CO2 will go on as before, going to a currently to-be-born child to his 71. Birthday live on average in a 4 degree warmer world.

children may be affected by the impacts of climate change, - said Nick Watts, the chief of the Lancet consortium. Your body and your immune system was developing, and damage in Childhood may remain. Also Harvest declines due to climate change and, as a result, under-nutrition, they met at the worst, the researchers write. They suffered more diarrhoea and mosquito-transmitted diseases such as Dengue. Nine out of ten years, with the best conditions for Dengue-carrying mosquitoes, there were, according to the Report, since the year 2000. Also, the conditions for the Cholera pathogen have improved since the beginning of the 80s.

A mother care in Bangladesh your child is suffering from Dengue fever. Photo

A group of bacteria, the Vibrios, going to an increasing risk even in the Baltic sea, it is said in the Lancet Report. The pathogens can be gastrointestinal and wound infections cause. Since the 1980s have doubled, due to higher water temperatures, the number of days you can become infected with Vibrios in the Baltic sea. In 2018, there were 107 days.

global warming Would, by contrast, the 1.5 ° is limited, as in the Paris climate agreement desired, and promise of those countries see it differently, according to the researchers. A child in England could experience with six years in the coal phaseout in France, with 21 years of age, the farewell of petrol and diesel cars, and all of today's Born in the world could experience at the age of 31, that only as much CO2 is produced by nature or by technical means can be taken. At the same time, the air pure, and the infrastructure could be better.

"An unprecedented challenge demands an unprecedented response and it requires the cooperation of the 7.5 billion currently living people, in order to ensure that a child born today is not determined by a changing climate," emphasize the authors.

"An unprecedented challenge demands an unprecedented response,"the study's authors

In the year 2018, over 65-Year-old in Germany, experienced more heat waves than the average of the years 1986 to 2005. The findings of a separate communication to the Lancet team, the data for Germany are summarized. In 2016, the fine dust levels (PM 2.5) contributed to about 44 800 premature deaths in the Federal Republic of Germany, 8000 of which were the result of the combustion of coal. Fine dust stems among other things from the market and the industry. Economic losses and health costs from particulate matter amounted according to the report, at 20 billion euros.

The air pollution overall, have led 2016 worldwide 7 million deaths, 2.9 million of which had been caused by fine dust. Further data from the report:

people in 77 percent of countries have increasingly Fire with forest fires, and similar to fight. Temperature increase and heat waves resulted in 2018 to a loss of 133.6 billion hours of work. And the trend is rising.

The authors have four main demands: A rapid and complete shift away from coal power in the world. A security to give the rich States, such as already promised to the poor from 2020 onwards, 100 billion dollars in climate support. Public transport and walking and promote Cycling, something with a bit more bike paths. In health systems invest, so that you can help global warming-damaged people, and not collapse.

Allergy researchers Torsten Zuberbier of the Charité in Berlin welcomes the Report in principle. It is an important aspect that affects the school performance is lacking, however: as a result of climate change has increased Pollen and the flowering period is extended. In addition, all the genes from the spread of plant species such as Ambrosia in Europe. Therefore, it is incomprehensible that the Report allergies ignore completely.

Sebastian Ulbert Fraunhofer Institute for cell therapy and immunology in Leipzig, Germany said that the German Doctors would have to increasingly have a mosquito-transmitted pathogen "on the screen". "So, for example, the majority of West Nile Virus remained of this year, infections go undetected, because in the case of flu-like symptoms, no one thought of this pathogen." Necessary training and a good test systems.

"About climate change were widespread three big mistakes" The consequences of global warming are much worse than we think, warns author David Wallace-Wells. And tell us where we're wrong.

(sda)

Created: 14.11.2019, 11:37 PM