A new study has revealed that the impact of climate change on the health of humans could be more severe than expected. The study said that global warming could result in the rise of cancer rates. Researchers said that the change in temperature, deteriorating air quality, and wildfires could give rise to lung, skin, and gastrointestinal cancer cases. They said that people are exposed more to environmental toxins, ultraviolet radiation, and infectious particles. This, they said, will ultimately result in disruptions of food and water supply. This will affect the lifestyle of people. The study said that the impact will be so harsh that global warming will extract an acute toll worldwide.
The study noted the rising cases of cancer could potentially disrupt the health care systems. The ultimate challenge will come when the world will face a shortage of means for diagnosis of the disease and its subsequent treatment. The authors said that the international community’s climate change battle is not on track. They added that the current efforts won’t slow down emissions of greenhouses gases. While cancer is predicted to be the leading cause of death in the current century, climate change will also contribute to higher rates of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Besides, the change in patterns of rains will also increase the risk of vector-borne diseases.
The study said that the biggest cancer threats are likely to be from poor quality of air. Air pollution is a major cause of concern for many countries today. Another factor that will contribute to cancer cases is exposure to ultraviolet radiation. This will increase the risk of lung cancer and other related diseases. Lung cancer is already the primary cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Air pollution is responsible for at least 15 percent of new lung cancer cases. It said that climate change will claim more than half a million lives worldwide by 2050. The authors called for policy solutions to check climate change and save human lives.
