Understanding the Links Between the Climate Crisis and Child Health

Year 2021, Volume: 21 Issue: 3, 281 - 287, 14.01.2022

Yakup Gozderesi , Enis Hikmet Ozmert

https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2021.990189

Abstract

Climate change has severe adverse effects on both child and adult health. It affects multiple body systems including the respiratory, immunologic, and neurologic systems. Increased temperatures, water and food insecurity, extreme climate events such as heatwaves and a loss of biodiversity all increase the prevalence of infectious and non-communicable disease. ISSOP is an international organization that works with social pediatrics and child health professionals in areas of health promotion, disease prevention, curative pediatrics and rehabilitation through participation in system development, policy-making processes and the publishing of international documents for guidance. The “Responding to the Impact of Climate Change on Children” webinar series is a global initiative that aims to highlight the importance of climate change and its adverse effects on child health. Eight structured two-hour webinars were held between February and September 2021. In this review, we aim to summarize the topics of the webinar series and provide recommendations to child health professionals which they can use in their academic and clinical practices. The consequences of climate change on health and, more specifically, child health, deepening inequalities and inequities, the essential role of youth, and the integration of climate change into health education will be discussed. Climate change is a public health emergency and requires everyone to take action. Healthcare professionals, as members of a respected and trusted occupation, must be made aware of the negative health consequences of climate change and play an informative role in society. The impact of such consequences that affect children’s health can be mitigated by increasing societal awareness of the effects of climate change, taking the relevant precautions and implementation of mitigation and adaptation strategies by parents and pediatricians.

Keywords

Social pediatrics, child health, climate change, ISSOP

Thanks

Thanks to Prof. Dr. Perran Boran for her mentorship during the study. Thanks to Dr. Nick Spencer for giving us this opportunity, and thanks a lot to all ISSOP for organising the webinar series.

İklim Krizi ve Çocuk Sağlığı Arasındaki İlişkiyi Anlamak

Abstract

İklim değişikliğinin hem çocuk hem de yetişkin sağlığı üzerinde ciddi etkileri bulunmaktadır. İklim değişikliğinin vücuttaki etkileri, solunum sistemi, sinir sistemi ve bağışıklık sistemi dâhil olmak üzere birçok vücut sisteminde ortaya çıkmaktadır. Sıcaklık artışı, temiz su ve gıdaya erişimdeki yetersizliklerle birlikte biyoçeşitliliğin azalması ve sıcak hava dalgaları gibi olağandışı iklim olayları, bulaşıcı hastalıklarla birlikte, bulaşıcı olmayan hastalıkların görülme sıklığını artırmaktadır. ISSOP(Uluslararası Sosyal Pediatri Derneği), sosyal pediatristlerle ve çocuk sağlığı profesyonelleriyle birlikte, sağlığın korunması ve geliştirilmesi, hastalıkların önlenmesi, tedavi ve rehabilitasyon alanlarında çalışan, bunu yönetim sistemlerine ve politika yapım süreçlerine katılım sağlama ve rehber dokumanlar yayınlama yoluyla yapan uluslararası bir dernektir. “İklim Değişikliğinin Çocuklar Üzerindeki Etkisine Karşılık Verebilmek” seminer serisi, ISSOP’un iklim değişikliğinin önemini ve çocuk sağlığı üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerini öne çıkarmayı amaçlayan küresel bir girişimidir. Bu kapsamda 2021 yılının Şubat ve Eylül ayları arasında ikişer saatlik sekiz yapılandırılmış seminer düzenlendi. Bu derlemede, seminer serisinin konuları özetlenerek çocuk sağlığı profesyonellerine akademik ve klinik uygulamalarında kullanabilecekleri öneriler sunulmaktadır. İklim değişikliğinin özellikle çocuk sağlığı üzerindeki etkileri, iklim değişikliği kaynaklı artan eşitsizlik ve adaletsizlikler, gençlerin iklim değişikliğine verilen yanıttaki temel rolü ve iklim değişikliğinin sağlık eğitimine entegrasyonu tartışılacaktır. İklim değişikliği bir halk sağlığı acilidir ve herkesin harekete geçmesini gerektirmektedir. Sağlık profesyonelleri, toplum tarafından saygı ve güven duyulan bir mesleğin üyeleri olarak, iklim değişikliğinin olumsuz sağlık sonuçlarından haberdar olmalı ve toplumda bilgilendirici bir rol oynamalıdır. Bu sonuçların çocuk sağlığına olumsuz etkileri, iklim değişikliğine ilişkin toplumsal farkındalığın artırılması, ilgili önlemlerin alınması, ebeveynlerin ve çocuk sağlığı profesyonellerinin iklim değişikliği uyum ve azaltım stratejilerini uygulaması yoluyla hafifletilebilir.

Keywords

Sosyal pediatri, çocuk sağlığı, iklim değişikliği, ISSOP

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