NURS 4115 – Week 5 Assignment – Global Climate Change and Health
The primary issue in regard to the United States is the increase in heat waves. Heat is a significant disadvantage, especially when it is more than expected (Samantha Harrington, 2019). The rising levels of heat in the United States bring about concerns regarding the current state of the country. Do you need help with your assignment ? Feel free to contact us. Our team is ready to help.
These concerns are significant as they considerably affect the health sector in the country. The heat levels cause an increase in the occurrences of disastrous forest fires. The burns and smoke released into the atmosphere affect the human population by bringing about health-related illnesses such as significant respiratory and physical challenges. This state can change the physical status and, in the end, the mental state of the affected citizens. Too much heat can lead to cases of heatstroke, while respiratory problems are in instances such as coughing, asthma, or even lung cancer.
If left unchecked, the results would include a decline in the economic status of the entire country due to the loss of human resources. Another issue would be the negative impacts on the environmental conditions brought about by the destruction of the habitats and the death of many forest animals, inevitably causing drought in some parts of the country.
These issues are currently being faced in the United States and require immediate and adequate attention. This is because they are among the significant health concerns related to global climate change. Due to this, the country has taken precautions to combat these problems, which include enacting policies to ensure the protection of the forest reserves. The United States government is also encouraging the formation of global warming local groups that come up with campaigns that create awareness of climate change and other groups that teach healthy diet consumption to boost the immunity of the citizens.
NURS 4115 – Week 5 Assignment – Global Climate Change and Health
In Australia, the two major health concerns related to global climate change include human settlements and exposure to waterborne and vector-borne diseases that transmit illnesses such as malaria. Australia is a developed country that has been facing climate change in various aspects, especially in coastal areas, due to the high number of populations. Changes in rainfall cause floods, which become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which bring about diseases such as dengue fever.
These concerns are essential because human settlements around such areas improve the risk at which people can get easily infected by waterborne. It is also crucial because waterborne diseases acquire a pathway toward the human population; the same goes for foodborne illnesses, which are quite sensitive to air temperatures (Olivia Willis, 2019). If left unchecked, the results would cause a decline in the current economic and social status of the country in terms of many individuals falling ill, hunger and food insecurity, and inevitably death of many of the citizens.
The country is combating these concerns by taking action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that affect the atmosphere and lead to global warming. The government is also encouraging the practice of activities such as observing and maintaining climatic zones to prevent the collapse of the ecosystem and also creating awareness of the adaptation methods to ensure the healthcare security of its citizens and improve public health outcomes.
Kenya is a developing country in Africa that also experiences health concerns related to global climate change. Two significant concerns reported include food distribution problems and malnutrition. Due to Kenya’s geographic location, the country is prone to experience cyclical droughts in which climate change intervenes and amplifies such conditions. Significant areas affected by the drought include the Northern regions of the country, such as Turkana (Joseph Amon, 2015). The level of drought tends to be extremely severe, and many people succumb to cases of malnutrition due to the lack of food and also food distribution problems in the case of relief aid.
These concerns are significant as they directly affect the human resource department of the country. Human resources are mostly in the form of labor and levels of expertise. Malnutrition is a deficiency disease that is caused by a lack of sufficient nutrients in one’s body, in which one of the major causes is food distribution problems.
If left unchecked, these concerns may bring about physical and mental health conditions, delayed growth, poor digestive conditions, and long-term effects that may lead to a higher risk of acquiring heart-related diseases and even obesity. This problem is mainly among the children who are the future of tomorrow. If their current condition is compromised, the state of the country’s growth and sustenance is put at risk.
The country has taken the initiative to improve the use of weather forecasting to predict the change in climatic conditions and improve epidemic preparedness by having the different counties develop plans that account for the resources available to sustain the population capacity. There are also plans for improving outbreak response by enhancing communication for effective interventions and encouraging the formation of community committees to ensure equal distribution to the community members.
NURS 4115 – Week 5 Assignment – Global Climate Change and Health
As the global climate is always changing and fluctuating, with cases of rising surface temperatures, melting of ice, and rising sea levels, the rate of impact on public health keeps on increasing. Many of the countries, including those mentioned above, have already incorporated national strategies that aim at combating most of the concerns related to global climate change. Some of the health promotion strategies that may be conducted by public health nurses may include:
Educate on the diseases that affect human health as a result of weather and climate (Am J Public Health, 2008). An increase in heat temperatures may lead to hyperthermia, while an increase in cold temperatures may lead to cases of hypothermia. Other types of physical health conditions may include vector-borne, foodborne, and waterborne diseases of which are deadly to human health. Public nurses can help mitigate these concerns by educating the public on ways of preventing the viruses from attacking and, in other cases, minimizing the spread to other areas once spotted.
Extend both clinical and population health services. Public health nurses should not only be limited to carrying out various activities within the clinic boundaries. The nurses should be flexible to go out into the community and help out those who may be unable to access the health care facilities. This method will help reduce the number of casualties, especially those who may have encountered injuries due to natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornados.
It is creating awareness through training and public health approaches. Health concerns regarding climate change are not issues that can be addressed by only a specific group of people, be it the government, non-governmental organizations, private enterprises, or individual researchers. It requires everyone to play a role and participate. Through this, people get equipped with the skills and knowledge that can help to mitigate concerns of global climate change on an individual level (WHO, 2018).
References
ABC Health & Wellbeing. Olivia Willis, July 6, 2019. “The Health Impacts of Climate Change and Why Calls for Action Are Growing Louder.” Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2019-07-06/health-impacts-of-climate- change/11282926
Am J Public Health, March 2008. “Promoting Public Health Research, Policy, Practice and Education.” Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2253589/
Human Rights Watch. Joseph Amon, October 15, 2015. “Kenya: Climate Change Threatens Rights.” Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/10/15/kenya-climate- change-threatens-rights
Samantha Harrington, August 19, 2019. “How Climate Change Threatens Public Health.” Retrieved from https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/08/how-climate- change-threatens-public-health/
World Health Organization, February 1, 2018. “Climate Change and Health.” Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
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Question 
Write a 3- to 5-page paper that addresses the following:
Describe two health care concerns related to global climate change NURS 4115 – Assignment: Epidemiology in Public and Global Health.
Topics could include increased exposure to vectors that transmit Zika, West Nile virus, or malaria; respiratory problems; food distribution problems due to drought or lack of water; or heat-related illness.
Compare concerns in the United States related to these topics with one developed and one developing country.
Describe health promotion/health protection strategies a nurse could implement.