“It’s not our fault, but it is our fight,”
says Brittney Jones about climate change and its impact on health in The
Bahamas.
“Countries like ourselves are on the
frontline of the impact of climate change due to extreme weather events,
flooding, temperature changes, and precipitation.”
According to the WHO/UNFCCC's Health and Climate Change Country
Profile 2021, “under a high [global] emissions scenario, the mean annual
temperature is projected to rise by about 3°C on average by the end of the century.
If emissions decrease rapidly, the temperature rise is limited to about 0.9°C”.
Jones is the Climate Change and Health
Focal Point for PAHO/WHO Bahamas, Turks & Caicos Islands Country Office. PAHO
is working with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Department of
Environmental Planning and Protection to implement a project: “Strengthening
Climate Resilient Health Systems in The Bahamas”. The expected product is the
completion of the health chapter of the National Adaptation Plan (HNAP). It is part
of a larger regional project - EU/ CARIFORUM Climate Change and Health Project,
of which the country is a beneficiary.
Resilience to and preparation for the
impact of climate change is critical for The Bahamas, which is placed amongst
the top ten most vulnerable island states in the world. Small Island Developing
States (SIDS) like The Bahamas see rising temperatures from global emissions as
a major threat to their health and way of life.
Globally, there is projected to be an
additional 250,000 deaths due to climate change every year, Jones said.
“This public health issue is also one that
should be viewed through ethical lens. From this perspective, it is important
to recognize how vulnerable populations like children, outdoor workers, the
elderly, and persons with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by
climate change.”
“From a human rights perspective, all
people have the right to their culture and preservation of food, water, health,
and housing - all directly impacted by climate change. From a political
perspective, governments around the globe including The Bahamas have recognized
its pivotal role in the preservation of human life.”
PAHO is the implementing agency of the EU/ CARIFORUM Climate Change and Health Project. Regional
health systems and populations remain highly vulnerable to impacts from climate
change causing: extreme weather; negative effects on food and water security;
impacts to health and wellbeing; lost/reduced work capacity; economic impacts;
and challenges to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Climate change affects everyone,
everywhere, Jones pointed out.
Human practices such as burning fossil
fuels for power generation and destroying trees, contribute to the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide trap the heat
of the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, causing an overall warming effect.
This causes a number of environmental
changes that have implications for human health:
Air pollution – which causes respiratory
challenges such as asthma, allergies, and cardiovascular conditions.
Drought – which can result in not having
enough water for sanitation and hygiene purposes, leading to spread of disease,
and can also impact food production needed for adequate nutrition.
Sea level rise – which leads to flooding,
which can contaminate drinking or fresh water sources, leading to water borne
diseases like cholera.
Changes in rainfall, heat, and humidity – which
can impact the life cycle of vectors, leading to diseases like dengue fever and
malaria.
Intense storms such as hurricanes – which
can cause injury, death, displacement, and mental health challenges related to
stress.
Extreme temperature – which can lead to heat
stroke or exhaustion, as well as cardiovascular issues.
The EU/CARIFORUM project will help to
improve the capacity of Caribbean countries to reduce the negative impacts of
climate change on health. The plan is to use a One Health approach within the
Caribbean Cooperation in Health Phase IV (CCH IV) Framework. This project will
contribute to the reduction in mortality and morbidity from expected health
consequences of climate change in Caribbean countries.
One Health takes an interdisciplinary/intersectoral
approach, bringing together a cadre of climate change and health leaders from
the Caribbean. PAHO lists many benefits including: increasing the region’s capacity
to measure the health co-benefits of climate mitigation; the establishment of
the HNAPs for countries involved; strengthening water, sanitation and food
safety systems to be more resilient to climate change; having national climate-
informed disease surveillance and modelling systems; and raising awareness in
order to take action at the local, national and sub-regional levels.
Sixteen Member States of CARIFORUM and Cuba
will benefit. Caribbean Forum of ACP States (CARIFORUM): Antigua and Barbuda, The
Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica,
Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines,
Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The project will be implemented over a
period of 60 months to the tune of 7 million Euros. Countries in the region
will touch five Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They are: 3 - good health
and well-being; 6 - clean water and sanitation; 11 - sustainable cities and communities;
13 - climate action; and 17 - partnerships for the SDGs.
The implementation team includes: PAHO/WHO,
Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC); Caribbean Institute for
Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH); Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA);
University of Western Caribbean (UWI) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency
Management Agency (CDEMA). Additional partners are UNEP, FAO, UNCC and PAHO/WHO
Collaborating Centers.
