Climate Change, Disaster Relief
& the Human Right to Health
Lunas as a Global Health Network joins the worldwide fight against climate change.
Climate change has been identified by public health experts as the single biggest threat facing humanity, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities in the Global South. In order to realize a future where all people have access to dignified healthcare, Lunas Global Health Network joins in international efforts to curb the impacts of climate change.
Barriers to Health
Extreme weather patterns such as droughts, floods and heatwaves impact the availability of clean air and water, leading to the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. The World Health Organization estimates that climate change will cause an additional 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress.
Image description: A farmer attempts to plant a mango tree in drought-stricken land in Svay Rieng province. KT/Mai Vireak
Higher temperatures exacerbate air pollution in urban areas, leading to respiratory problems such as asthma and lung cancer. Often concentrated in urban areas, marginalized communities in the Global South are particularly vulnerable to this effect.
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Climate change also leads to the disruption of ecological systems, which affects food security and nutrition. This can lead to malnutrition and chronic health problems such as stunting in children.
Displacement
Extreme weather events can lead to the displacement of communities, leading to overcrowding in temporary shelters and a barrier in the realization of the right to healthcare. Access to basic infrastructure and services such as safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities is already limited. Areas with weak health infrastructure, especially in the Global South, will be the least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond to such events.
Climate change exacerbates the challenges of providing these basic health services, negatively impacting the health of already marginalized communities.
Lunas Global Health is committed to addressing the effects of Climate Change in Southeast Asia by providing disaster relief for climate-related catastrophic events such as typhoons, floods and landslides among others.