DUSHANBE, April 7, Asia-Plus — According to data of the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of malaria and other diseases cases will remain high or even increase in Central Asia’s states, including Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, the local WHO representative in Tajikistan, Santino Severoni, remarked at a news conference that was held in Dushanbe Monday on occasion of the World Health Day.
According to him, this is linked to climate change and increase in air temperature in these areas. Mr. Severoni noted that climate change might not only affect public health in these countries but also lead to insufficient nutrition. “Specialists expect climate change to lead to a 30 percent decrease in production of agricultural goods in the Mediterranean and Central Asia,” the local Who representative noted.
Another coming challenge
is shortage of safe drinking water that may also cause increase in the number of infectious diseases cases. In Tajikistan, only 70 percent of the population has access to safe drinking water. Of them, only 25 percent are residents of rural areas, Mr. Severoni said.
World Health Day, on 7 April, marks the founding of the World Health Organization and is an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year. In 2008, World Health Day focuses on the need to protect health from the adverse effects of climate change.
The theme “protecting health from climate change” puts health at the centre of the global dialogue about climate change. WHO selected this theme in recognition that climate change is posing ever growing threats to global public health security.
Through increased collaboration, the global community will be better prepared to cope with climate-related health challenges worldwide. Examples of such collaborative actions are: strengthening surveillance and control of infectious diseases, ensuring safer use of diminishing water supplies, and coordinating health action in emergencies.
