Public health promotes and protects the health of common people and several

communities where they live, learn, play and work. While the doctors usually try
to cure the sick, the public health used to prevent people from getting sick
through establishing healthy environment and healthy behaviors.

Climate change is a serious threat for public health. As, it can harm the water
supply, increase vector-borne disease and increase extreme weather events.
Vulnerable populations such as communities of color, the elderly, young children,
the poor and also those with chronic illnesses bear the greatest burden of injury,
diseases and death due to climate change.
Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health stressors, influences human
health and disease in numerous ways. Some existing health threats will intensify and new health
threats will emerge. Not everyone is equally at risk. Important considerations include age, economic
resources, and location.

Climate change is a treat to public health as:

Extreme heat. If high temperatures, especially when combined with high relative humidity, persist for
several days (heat waves), and if nighttime temperatures do not drop, extreme heat can be a killer. Of
all climate-related projections by scientists, rising temperatures are the most robust. Higher
temperatures are also the most influenced by human behavior: the fewer heat-trapping emissions we
release into the atmosphere, the cooler we can keep our planet. Because winter temperatures are
rising faster than summer ones, cold-related deaths are likely to decline.
"Natural" disasters. Projected changes in temperature and precipitation under global warming are
likely to lead to other effects that threaten human health and safety. For example, changing
precipitation patterns and prolonged heat can create drought, which can cause forest and peat fires,
putting residents and firefighters in danger. However, a warming atmosphere also holds more
moisture, so the chance of extreme rainfall and flooding continues to rise in some regions with rain or
snow. In many heavily populated areas, sea-level rise is more likely to put people in the path of storm
surges and coastal flooding. Warmer ocean waters may spawn more intense tropical hurricanes and
typhoons while ocean cycles continue to be a factor in the frequency of tropical cyclones.
Poor air quality. Three key ingredientssunlight, warm air, and pollution from power plants and cars
burning coal and gasolinecombine to produce ground-level ozone (smog), which humans experience
as poor air quality. Higher air temperatures increase smog, if sunlight, fossil fuel pollution, and air
currents remain the same.
Allergens and other nuisances. Warmer temperatures and higher concentrations of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere stimulate some plants to grow faster, mature earlier, or produce more potent
allergens. Common allergens such as ragweed seem to respond particularly well to higher
concentrations of CO2, as do pesky plants such as poison ivy. Allergy-related diseases rank among
the most common and chronic illnesses that can lead to lower productivity.
Spreading diseases. Scientists expect a warmer world to bring changes in "disease vectors"the
mechanisms that spread some diseases. Insects previously stopped by cold winters are already
moving to higher latitudes (toward the poles). Warmer oceans and other surface waters may also
mean severe cholera outbreaks and harmful bacteria in certain types of seafood. Still, changes in land
use and the ability of public health systems to respond make projecting the risk of vector-borne
disease particularly difficult.
 People donot bear the risk equally because Climate trends differ by region. People who live in
floodplains, for example, are more likely to see river or coastal flooding. Similarly, people who live in
regions with poor air quality today are at greater risk from poor air quality days in the future. Some people
are more vulnerable to illness or death. Young children, the elderly, and those who are already ill are
less able to withstand high temperatures and poor air quality, for example. Temperature extremes and
smog hit people with heart and respiratory diseases, including asthma, particularly hard. Wealthy nations
are more likely to adapt to projected climate change and recover from climate-related disasters than poor
countries . Even within nations, less economically fortunate individuals are more vulnerable because they
are less likely to have air conditioning and well-insulated homes, and because they have fewer resources
to escape danger.

Conclusion:

There is widespread scientific consensus that the worlds climate is changing. Mounting
evidence suggests current and future effects on human health, including injuries and illnesses
from severe weather events, floods, and heat exposure; increases in allergic, respiratory, vector-
borne, and waterborne diseases; and threats to food and water supplies. Indirect effects may
include anxiety and depression and the consequences of mass migration and regional conflicts.

Addressing these occurrences is a pressing challenge for public health. Although the scope and
complexity of the challenge are unprecedented, the conceptual framework for responding draws
on long-standing public health thinking. An effective public health response to climate change is
essential to preventing injuries and illnesses, enhancing public health preparedness, and reducing
risk. Science-based decisionmaking, informed by public health ethics, will help manage
uncertainty and optimize health, environmental, and economic outcomes. The Essential Services
of Public Health serve as a useful framework for planning and implementing a public health
response.