Global Climate Change and Health
Assignment: Global Climate Change and Health
Write a 4- pages paper that addresses the following:
• Describe two health care concerns related to global climate change.
o 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 2–3 health promotion/health protection strategies a nurse could implement.
• Support your ideas with references from the professional nursing literature.
Required Readings
Holtz, C. (2022). Global health care: Issues and policies (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.
• Chapter 11, “Global Use of Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches” (pp. 293-320)
• Chapter 19, “Global Health in Reproduction and Infants” (pp. 476-510)
• Chapter 23, “Health and Health Care in Mexico” (pp. 599-609)
Levine, R. (2007). Case studies in global health: Millions saved. Jones & Bartlett.
• Case 6, “Saving Mothers’ Lives in Sri Lanka” (pp. 41–48)
Douglas, M. K., Rosenkoetter, M., Pacquiao, D. F., Callister, L. C., Hattar-Pollara, M., Lauderdale, J., … Purnell, L. (2014). Guidelines for implementing culturally competent nursing care. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 25(2), 109–121. http://doi.org/10.1177/1043659614520998
Yeager, K. A., & Bauer-Wu, S. (2013). Cultural humility: Essential foundation for clinical researchers. Applied Nursing Research, 26(4), 251–256. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnr.2013.06.008
Global Climate Change and Health
Healthcare Concern
The selected health issues related to climate change include increased exposure to vectors that transmit malaria and food distribution problems due to drought or lack of water. Climate change leads to an increase in temperature and rainfall that cause the proliferation of malaria-carrying mosquitoes (Rocklov & Dubrow, 2020). The incidence leads to an increase in malaria transmission, especially among people living in high-altitude areas. Research shows that malaria is a climate-sensitive disease, especially with rainfall and temperature variations (Rocklov & Dubrow, 2020). The direct cost of treating malaria in America is nearly $12 billion annually (Karypidou et al., 2020). The cost of lost economic growth is more than the cost of treatment. Regions experiencing flooding due to global climate change have high malaria transmission rates. Research shows that malaria incidences positively correlate with rainfall and flooding (Karypidou et al., 2020). Climate change that causes heavy rainfall and flooding exposes communities to malaria.
Climate change leads to poor health due to food distribution and health problems (Holtz). Countries are experiencing food distribution problems due to drought and lack of enough water. Food distribution is common in countries that rely on rainfall to grow their cash crops (Mishra et al., 2019). For instance, maize and wheat, significant food items, are affected by drought. Communities can experience famine and death due to a shortage of food. Another effect is that the food shortage will lead to skyrocketing food prices (Mishra et al., 2019). The skyrocketing food prices leave millions of people without food since they cannot afford to buy it. Global climate change affects global supply chains. Some countries rely on imports to feed their citizens (Karypidou et al., 2020). When the supply chains are affected due to shortage, the cost of living is affected and triggers a humanitarian crisis. For instance, some countries experience famine that leads to health conditions such as marasmus due to poor nutrition (Karypidou et al., 2020). Other cases include the loss of lives since people cannot afford the high cost of living.
United States and India
Statistics indicate that despite measures to counter malaria, Americans still record nearly 2,000 cases and five deaths annually (Mace et al., 2021). Most affected people are immigrants and travelers from countries with a high infestation of malaria. New York is the number one state with the highest malaria cases (Mace et al., 2021). America has made various strides in eliminating malaria since the 1950s through the use of proper drainage, window screens, and insecticides (Mace et al., 2021). Florida has been a successful state in the fight against malaria by using repellants, improved housing, and anti-malaria drugs.
America is unlike India in the fight against malaria. Statistics indicate that India reports at least 15 million cases of malaria that culminate into nearly 20,000 deaths annually (Kumari et al., 2020). According to World Health Organization (WHO), India represents three percent of the malaria burden in the world (Kumari et al., 2020). It is the highest malaria burden country in South East Asia. Malaria is prevalent in Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Prades, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Rajasthan (Van Eijk et al., 2020). The highest number of cases is in Orissa. Malaria has been a healthcare problem in India for centuries since ancient literature bear witness to the effects of malaria.
The second health concern is food distribution problems due to drought or lack of water. India has experienced frequent droughts that affect food and water distribution (Sam et al., 2020). Although the last severe drought was in 1943, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s report on State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World shows that in 2020 189 million were malnourished (Sam et al., 2020). Statistics indicate that 14 percent of the population is malnourished, while 51.4 percent of women between 15 and 49 are anemic (Sam et al., 2020). The challenges are due to persistent drought and a lack of sufficient water to grow crops. The challenges of drought affect the distribution networks that undermine the availability of quality food in the country. Low-income communities are disadvantaged since they cannot access quality, healthy, and balanced diet food.
America has been experiencing similar incidences of drought in recent years. Statistics indicate that 39.84% of the U.S and 45.38% of lower states will experience drought in 2021 (Feliciano & Sobenes, 2022). One of the indicators is the severe weather, lack of rainfall, and high temperature that prompt wildfires. Health reports indicate that in 2021, 10.5 percent or nearly 13.8 million U.S. households were experiencing food shortages (Feliciano & Sobenes, 2022). The challenges of food shortage persist in the current cases of the high cost of living. Experts predict that although the country may not experience a difficult situation, customers will likely find empty shelves in supermarkets and groceries (Mace et al., 2021). The cost of living, drought, and changing weather patterns due to climate change may affect the distribution networks of essential foods and drinks. For instance, recently, parents were forced to find alternative means for their children after a severe shortage of baby formula (Mace et al., 2021). The shortage is expected, but the government uses diverse interventions to address the health crisis.
Health Promotion/Health Protection Strategies
Nurses can implement diverse health promotion and protection strategies to safeguard patients and the community. One of the interventions is educating the community about preventive measures (Lee et al., 2021). For instance, although malaria cases are low, people must take anti-malaria drugs when traveling to malaria-prone countries. The second measure is to educate people about the symptoms to ensure patients get diagnosed and treated before the condition is severe (Lee et al., 2021). Knowledge about the symptoms will facilitate early detection and treatment. Nurses can promote quality health by advocating for more resources for educating people and mass testing. The objective is to identify the cases and outbreaks and prevent mass infection.
Nurses can play a role in addressing the food distribution problems occasioned by drought and lack of water. The first step is to ensure regular screening and assessments to determine patients’ health (Williams et al., 2018). Diagnosis of the patients will culminate in appropriate interventions. For instance, nurses can give nutritional advice to patients about the sources of various nutrients. The information can be used to prevent incidences of anemia. Encouraging people to take food supplements will boost their health and prevent malnutrition (Williams et al., 2018). Nurses can use the data on malnutrition to prevent further escalation of the problem. The data can be used in the advocacy role of seeking government support and non-governmental organizations’ interventions in addressing prevailing problems.
Conclusion
Malaria and food distribution problems due to drought or lack of water are two major health issues affecting the world today. United States and India are two countries that provide a contrast to the effects of global climate change on the health of millions of people. USA and India are experiencing a massive impact of people affected by malaria and drought. Nurses have an opportunity to intervene using diverse strategies. Nurses can implement diverse health promotion and protection strategies to safeguard patients and the community. The strategies include educating people, screening, and treatment, and advocating for better government allocation and response to the health crisis.
References
Feliciano, D., & Sobenes, A. (2022). Stakeholders’ perceptions of factors influencing climate change risk in a Central America hotspot. Regional Environmental Change, 22(1), 1-19.
Holtz, C. (2022). Global health care: Issues and policies (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.
Karypidou, M. C., Almpanidou, V., Tompkins, A. M., Mazaris, A. D., Gewehr, S., Mourelatos, S., & Katragkou, E. (2020). Projected shifts in the distribution of malaria vectors due to climate change. Climatic Change, 163(4), 2117-2133.
Kumari, P., Sinha, S., Gahtori, R., Yadav, C. P., Pradhan, M. M., Rahi, M., … & Anvikar, A. R. (2020). Prevalence of asymptomatic malaria parasitemia in Odisha, India: a challenge to malaria elimination. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 103(4), 1510.
Lee, Y., Lee, J., Kim, J., & Jung, Y. (2021). Non-pharmacological nursing interventions for prevention and treatment of delirium in hospitalized adult patients: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(16), 8853.
Mace, K. E., Lucchi, N. W., & Tan, K. R. (2021). Malaria Surveillance—United States, 2017. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 70(2), 1.
Mishra, V., Tiwari, A. D., Aadhar, S., Shah, R., Xiao, M., Pai, D. S., & Lettenmaier, D. (2019). Drought and famine in India, 1870–2016. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(4), 2075-2083.
Rocklov, J., & Dubrow, R. (2020). Climate change: an enduring challenge for vector-borne disease prevention and control. Nature immunology, 21(5), 479-483.
Sam, A. S., Padmaja, S. S., Kächele, H., Kumar, R., & Müller, K. (2020). Climate change, drought and rural communities: Understanding people’s perceptions and adaptations in rural eastern India. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 44, 101436.
Van Eijk, A. M., Mannan, A. S., Sullivan, S. A., & Carlton, J. M. (2020). Defining symptoms of malaria in India in an era of asymptomatic infections. Malaria journal, 19(1), 1-11.
Williams, S. D., Phillips, J. M., & Koyama, K. (2018). Nurse advocacy: Adopting a health in all policies approach. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(3).
