From eye problems and thunderstorm asthma to anxieties about the future - Part 2 of the Status Report on Climate Change and Health

The second part of the new German status report "Climate Change and Health" focuses on non-communicable diseases. The six articles in the fourth issue of the Journal of Health Monitoring (S4/2023) range from health risks due to heat and other extreme weather events, the influence of climate change on allergic diseases and mental health, tothe health consequences of changed UV radiation and increased air pollution. The 37 authors from 23 institutions review diverse risk and protective factors, risk groups, the impact of climate change on health care and infrastructures, and provide recommendations for action.

The consequences of climate change for public health are comprehensive, the individual factors have effects in a wide variety of areas and are part of complex risk cascades. Dry soils during heat waves, for instance, lead to a deterioration in air quality due to dust and particulate matter caused by drifts. Forest fires also contribute to increased particulate matter. Drought stress in plants reduces the uptake of ozone and thus increases the near-ground ozone concentration, which is harmful to health. Peak ozone values over several days can also arise from stagnating air circulation during pronounced high-pressure weather conditions.

Pollen and/or the allergens contained therein are the most frequent triggers of inhalation allergies. Higher temperatures and an increase in the CO2 concentration in the air lead to changes in the flowering times of pollen-producing plants and thus to changes in the times of occurrence of pollen. Alterations in pollen concentration, variations in the pollen spectrum and changes in the allergenicity of pollen and henceforth variations in the frequency and severity of allergic respiratory diseases are also to be expected. Due to increasing extreme weather events, the phenomenon of thunderstorm asthma - severe asthma attacks in people with hay fever or allergic asthma during thunderstorms - could become more important. Climate change is altering the factors influencing UV radiation intensity and the annual UV dose in Germany. Consequently, depending on people's exposure behaviour, the individual UV radiation exposure and the risk of UV-related diseases of the skin and eyes, including cancers, could increase.

Likewise, climate change-related meteorological events and natural disasters can severely impact mental health i.e. higher temperatures increasing the risk of suicide or extreme heat leading to more aggressive beahviour. A majority of people living in Germany worry about the global and regional consequences of climate change, and for some this worry leads to climate anxiety and depression requiring treatment.

As heads of several federal agencies working on public health issues in Germany have stressed in the editorial of the first German status report"Climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity, threatening our livelihoods and thus our future". While the first part focused on infectious diseases. the third and last part of the report, which will also be published in the Journal of Health Monitoring at the end of 2023, the researchers examine the connections/associations between health equity and climate change, the importance of target group-specific climate change communication and express the need for action on the basis of the recommendations for action formulated in the preceding articles.

More information: www.rki.de/climatereport

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