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Global warming hits kids more than
adults
3 November, 2007
It is children who are particularly
vulnerable to the unhealthy effects of
global warming.
According to a report presented at the
annual congress of the American
Academy of Pediatrics recently,
“anticipated direct health
consequences of climate change include
injury and death from extreme weather
events and natural disasters,
increases in climate-sensitive
infectious diseases, increases in air
pollution-related illness, and more
heat-related, potentially fatal,
illness.”
“Within all of these categories,
children have increased vulnerability
compared with other groups,” the first
major report about the unique effects
of global warming on children added.
The authors of the report urged
pediatricians, especially those in the
United States – which they said is the
country that produces the most
greenhouse-gas emissions per capita in
the world – to resort to
environment-friendly practices.
There is evidence that children are
apt to suffer more than adults from
climate change, stresses Katherine
Shea, a pediatrician and adjunct
public health professor at the
University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill and the lead author of the
report.
The health risks linked to climate
change that would affect children
include a projected increase in
vector-borne illnesses like malaria
(which is carried by mosquitoes), a
greater incidence of asthma and
respiratory illnesses, and more
heat-related deaths.
Air pollution does more damage to the
lungs of children than those of
adults, leading to asthma and
respiratory ailments in children.
Since the lungs of children are still
developing, they breathe at a higher
rate than adults and are outdoors more
of the time than adults.
Water-borne infections, such as
diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal
problems, affect children especially
hard. These infections rise sharply
with more rain, which is expected as
the climate warms.
With mosquitoes now being able to move
to higher ground, the malaria zone is
found to be expanding. Children,
again, are especially vulnerable to
malaria – with 75% of malaria deaths
occurring in children below the age of
five.
The report warned of food shortages
caused by unchecked global warming and
severely reduced availability of water
in regions including the west coast of
the United States.
Shortages of food and water could, in
turn, result in huge movements of
populations, the report presented at
the annual congress of the American
Academy of Pediatrics noted.
The report also asked pediatricians
“to lead by example” and take on the
role of public advocates against
global warming.
It went on to say, “Paediatric health
care professionals are in an ideal
position to advocate for action, not
only to address climate change but
also to ensure sustainability.
Pediatricians can incorporate
considerations of the effects of
climate change on health into their
professional practice and personal
lives.”
The report listed actions to be taken
by the pediatricians, including
encouraging patients to cut down on
car usage, and educating local
officials to the dangers of climate
change.
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