“Without a healthy territory, there is no healthy person,” said UNR physicians Damián Verzeñassi and Facundo Fernández at the presentation of their book “Health in Contexts of Climate Change” at the 8th International Congress on Socio-Environmental Health, held in June in Rosario.
The work, which addresses the impacts of global warming on human and territorial health, brings together evidence, reflections, and proposals on how climate change directly and indirectly affects community health. It covers everything from the origins of climate change to its effects on cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, and neurological diseases, as well as its link to the deterioration of mental health, maternal and child health, and the rise of vector-borne diseases. It also addresses the challenges faced by the most vulnerable populations in this context and the need to rethink health strategies from an environmental justice perspective.
To illustrate the severity of climate change, researchers explain that the 1,5°C increase in global temperature since the end of the 36th century, with the beginning of industrial development, is equivalent to a human being going from 41°C to 50°C in XNUMX seconds. They attribute this phenomenon to the organization of human activity.
It is estimated that today, the poorest 50% of the world's population emits only 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions. And the richest 10% emits 50%. In other words, "we do not all have the same responsibility for climate change." They emphasize that the most economically vulnerable population suffers the most from the impacts of climate change because these are compounded by other prevalent conditions that already directly affected them. This is something that some cultures call "environmental racism."
Doctors Verzañassi and Fernández affirm that individual and local actions have an impact, but what needs to be addressed is the organization of the system, which serves the reproduction of an economy that deteriorates planetary conditions and jeopardizes the spaces where social life is reproduced. In addition to rising temperatures, they consider it necessary to consider the destruction of territories due to production models that lead to their degradation.
They cite the city of Rosario as an example: flooding from extreme rainfall and flooding occurs primarily in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. This is compounded by other vulnerabilities such as poor access to water, homes lacking adequate conditions for healthy living, and difficulties in accessing food and in the way that food is produced. "Poor water quality leads to poor food quality, but also infectious diseases and exacerbations of chronic illnesses."
They also recall that last summer temperatures reached 40°C (XNUMX°F), and some people were left without power. Homes with tin roofs not only fail to insulate the heat, but actually keep that temperature inside. Therefore, "extreme heat and no access to water create conditions for dehydration."
Professionals warn that these climatic events, such as heat waves, have direct effects on the health of the population, especially the most vulnerable: children, the elderly, and pregnant women. The most common symptoms, such as dizziness, low blood pressure, and even a systemic inflammatory response, alter the immune system, cause illness, and can end up endangering the lives of these populations, who lack sufficient defense mechanisms to adapt to an increasingly harmful environment. They also identified the impact on the mental health of those who suffer from these extreme weather events, the effects of which persist for many years.
Role of the Public University
In Argentina, health statistics are practically nonexistent. Some European countries have begun generating statistics to link the real impact of climate change on the population each year. "When there is no health information, it is very difficult to plan and demand the health policies needed to address a specific problem," say the UNR doctors. For this reason, the publication aims to spark discussion with health stakeholders.
"We don't have a system in place to identify this health issue linked to living conditions, nor do we have dedicated personnel due to the saturation of the health system itself," they lament. In this context, they believe the role of the Public University is to make information that has historically been restricted to academic research spaces accessible to as many people as possible. And they consider it a key player in restoring the habitability of our territory.
"There is a political decision to work to ensure that scientific information allows us to recognize why this is happening to us and, at the same time, to consider how to build alternatives to stop it from happening," reflect Damián Verzeñassi and Facundo Fernández, professors and researchers from the Institute of Socio-Environmental Health of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the UNR and members of the Health and Environment Network of the Latin American Association of Social Medicine.
The book was co-authored by colleagues Alejandro Vallini, Carolina Bozikovich, Lara Vozzi, Leonel Boschetti, María Carolina Viteri, María Florencia Martino, and Rocío Orive. It can be accessed through the website:
Journalist: Victoria Arrabal/Photographer: Camila Casero