Some ten (10) years ago emails were released by unknown hackers purporting that climate scientists were engaged in political activism rather than science in their attempts to discover what was causing global warming.
These hacked emails caused pandemonium among scientists, civil society organizations, industrialists, political leaders and environmentalists.
At the time these hacked emails were in circulation, the evidence to prove that global climate was indeed changing and the earth warming up was rear.
In these emails, scientists argued and challenged the findings and figures of one another, described what was supposed to be scientific research findings as mere politics and a personal interest game.
It has been established that events such as heat waves, flooding, migration, dry wind and increased malaria infections, opportunistic infections to lack of fresh water in Ghana and sustainable energy are clear examples or real evidence of climate change.
The progress of every nation depends on the health of its citizens. Therefore, people’s health is synonymous to national economy. Health is one of the critical sectors to the socio-economic development of every nation. However, in the wake of climate change, the foundation of this critical sector is likely to be affected if attention is given to it.
We have witnessed the brunt of climate change on national health, economy, political and financial. These events gave a clue to what climate change is made of. So what else? Though, there exists diverse sentimentalism over and about climate change, the impact of climate change on human health in Ghana cannot be downplayed. The earlier Ghanaian authority prioritizes health the better its citizens.
In Ghana temperatures keep raising. This comes with heat-related illnesses as a result of extreme exposure.
Though there is no official statistics of heat-related illnesses in Ghana but, heat-related conditions in Ghana range from minor illnesses to life-threatening medical emergencies. Heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat syncope (fainting), and heat rashes are the major illnesses being recorded in Out-Patient-Department (OPD) in Ghanaian health facilities across the nation.
There is no doubt climate change has indeed plunged the world especially developing countries such as Ghana into multiple of crisis ranging from development, livelihood, economic to health.
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 7,415 deaths due to heat-related illness in the United States from 1999 to 2010, or an average of approximately 618 deaths per year. This number could be overwhelming higher in Africa and for that matter Ghana as a result of changing climate.
3rd June flood that submerged Accra, Ghana’s capital city and claimed about 200 lives also affected fresh water culminating in reported cases of cholera among other water borne diseases. Most recently, a summer heat wave in Pakistan in 2015 led to more than 1,000 fatalities.
As acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) lessons learned on health adaptation to climate variability and change report “Climate variability and change are exacerbating many current climate-sensitive health outcomes and have the potential to affect the ability of health system institutions and organizations to maintain or improve health burdens in the context of changing climate and development patterns”. WHO’s report recommended “advancing management of these risks requires systems-based and holistic approaches to adaptation”.
Based on WHO’s recommendation, building resilience health sector is must for Ghana failure of which would plunge the nation into serious health crisis.
The brunt of climate change and global warming on Ghana’s health system is glaring. The story of the impact of climate change on human health is not a distant threat, but a reality.
Increased heat waves in Sub-Sahara Africa and part of Asia is rolling up opportunistic infections such as cholera, skin rashes, and heightening malaria infections. Ghana is not exception to this. Malaria which is among the most deadly or life-threatening illnesses in Ghana are being furthered by climate change as a result of climate change.
Earth warming has manifested as disastrous heat waves and floods experienced the world over and are indeed an indication that the earth is moving into a dangerous climate change risk zone and, unless we intervene, will move beyond the point of return.
However, it is not too late to wipe the slates clean and eradicate the pollution we pumped into the atmosphere which has caused global warming.
We may take refuge in our selfishness to help deal with climate change but we cannot stay there forever. Our inactivity, and slow responses to climate change conventions, as well as our consistent failures to play major roles in reducing greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions have already killed millions of people and animals.
The negative impact of climate change, like Ebola, does not discriminate against race, religion or social status. It is time that we all join hands to tackle climate change before it reaches irreversible proportions.
As Ghanaians we will collectively grieve in silence if we fail to recognize this danger and give it the much needed attention it requires. This can be done by strengthening Ghana health system to take care of emerging illnesses in the wake of climate change.
It may not be too long to begin to experience health crisis in the country. The negative impact of climate change has already been felt in Ghana’s agriculture and energy sector. The government must not remain silent but help build national resilience by strengthening all critical sectors such as agriculture, health, water, energy and environment. Climate change is indeed a very a present danger and the time to take innovative and proactive measures to cushion health and economy systems from collapse is virtually running out.
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