EH Research paper

Running head: CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEFORESTATION AND ITS EFFECT 1
Climate Change and Deforestation and
its Effect on Global Public Health
Autumn Funderburg
Ohio University

CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEFORESTATION AND ITS EFFECT ON GLOBAL 2
Hippocrates was one of the first to discover alink between the environment
and health of human beings. He tooknote that physicians of the time should have
“due regardof the seasons of the year, and the diseases whichthey produce, and the
states of the wind peculiar to each countryand the qualities of its water (McMichael,
2003). Varying among geographies and topographies, environmental healthimpacts
may be positive or negative, but is predictedby scientists to be predominantly
negative (McMichael, 2003). Environmental health conditions playa significant role
in foodtravel and importation, famine, starvation, social collapse andthe
disappearance of whole populations (McMichael, 2003). These conditions maylead
to social unrest that may include robberies, riots, cannibalism, and animal disease
proliferation(McMichael, 2003). Climate change and deforestationare important to
the general wellbeing of a society, with the potential to impact foodproductionlevels
and the spreadof infectious diseases.
The United States and the world are experiencingclimate change: increases in
temperatures, global risingof sealevels, and many types of extreme weather. All are
becomingmore frequent and more severe (U.S. Global Change ResearchProgram,
2015). Accordingto Figure 1.5 onpage 10 of Climate Change and Human Health, the
first directlyaffectedareais the regional weather. This can include heat waves,
extreme weather, temperature, and precipitation. This may have a seasonal link and,
for example, a mild winter can lead to summer seasonal changes involving extreme
heat waves more than typical of the region. These regional weather changes affect
microbial contaminationpathways, transmissiondynamics, agro-ecosystems and
hydrology, and socioeconomicconditions anddemographic conditions. This in turn,

has an effect onhealth that can include temperature relatedillness anddeath, extreme
weather relatedhealtheffects, air pollution-relatedhealtheffects, water and food
borne diseases, vector borne and rodent diseases, effects of foodand water shortages,
mental, nutritional, infections and other healtheffects (McMichael, 2003). Climate
change and deforestationmay go hand-in-hand in many instances. Human induced
climate change and human induced deforestation, alongwith destructionof other
ecosystems, is leaving these areas under capacity to buffer impacts of extreme
weather events suchas fires, floods and severe storms. (U.S. Global Change Research
Program, 2015).
Abundance and distributionof diseases, specificallyvector borne diseases, is
affectedby many physical and biotic factors. Physical factors include temperature,
precipitation, humidity, surface water, and wind; biotic factors include vegetation,
host species, predators, competitors, parasites, and human interventions (McMichael,
2003). Malariaand Dengue, transmittedvia mosquito, are two of these main vector
borne diseases that is on the rise and difficult to control. One studyhas shown that the
change in vector ecologyhas alteredlocal disease incidenceandprevalence, as well.
(Pattanayak and Yasuoka, 2008).
The parasite hostingthe malaria virus cannot be sustainedin very high
temperatures. This means that in areas of high heat that see even a minor increase in
temperatures mayexperience adecrease intransmissionof malariabecause the
physiological tolerancelimit has surpassedthat which the mosquito can handle.
However, in low-temperature areas, asmall increase intemperature would have the
opposite effect ontransmissionandit may increase. (Edwards, Hales, and Kovats,

2003) Inareas of high rainfall that see warmer weather conditions and humidity may
see an increase intransmissionof dengue. These weather conditions are ideal for
breeding mosquitoes. (Edwards, Hales, and Kovats, 2003)
In addition to climate change, deforestationalso plays a major role inlocal
ecosystems andhuman disease patterns. Microclimates are altereddramatically
because deforestationreducesshade, alters rainfall patterns, augments air movement
and changes the humidity regime. Biodiversityis reducedand surface water
availability is increased. These environmental and climatic changes can result in
prolongedseasonal malaria transmission. (Pattanayakand Yasuoka, 2008)
There are many other emergingdiseases, namely viruses, which are surfacing
from ecologicallydamaged parts of the earth. Many emerge from the tatterededges of
tropical rainforests, the largest reservoirs forviruses, and tropical savannas that are
experiencing increase inhuman populations. These emergingviruses include, but are
not limitedto, Lassa, Rift Valley, Oropouche, Rocio, Q. Guanarito, VEE,
Monkeypox, Chikungunya, Machupo, Junin, Mokola, Duvenhage, LeDantec, the
Kyasanur Forest brainvirus, HIV, the Smliki Forest agent, Crimean-Congo, Sindbis,
O’nyongnyong, Marburg, Ebola Sudan, Ebola Zaire, and Ebola Reston (Preston
1994).
Climate change may lead to drought and fires withintropical forests andthis
forest losscanlead to further climate change, causing even further forestloss (Butler,
26);it is a vicious cycle. This damage can be devastating to the populations that rely
on forestsas a source of nutrition. Nutritional qualityof rural diets is enhanced by
forest foods because of the large availability of micronutrients (vitamins and

minerals) and phytochemicals. Benefits from theseforest foods include antioxidant
functions, hypoglycemic functions, and modificationanddetoxicationof potential
carcinogens. (Vinceti, Euzaguirre, and Johns, 2008)
Cereal grain productionis most likely to be affectedbyclimate change. It
accounts for 70% of global foodenergymaking it a target researchtopic. Decreases
or disruptions inthe foodsupply will negatively affect populations inisolatedareas
with poor access to markets and developing countries where a very large portionof
the populationis undernourished. (Githeko and Woodward, 2003)
Brown and Kelleyintroduce anissue involving physicians’ lack of training
and knowledge when it comes to environmental health effects. Physicians are the
most trustedsourcesof medical information, but they are among the least informed
regarding environmental healtheffects (Brownand Kelley, 2000). Physicians within
distance of toxic waste sites are likelyto be tiedto sources of political, economic, and
social power making it more difficult to target the sourceof environmental health
effects andthe hazards producing these effects. In one study in Colorado, physicians
seemedhelpless whenit came to tackling general environmental health issues and
aren’t sure how to approach the problem. Private health professionals are failingto
lookat a larger public health issue leaving a gap in the health system. (Brown, and
Kelley, 2000) Contributingto the overall problem, there is a shortage of trained
occupational and environmental medicine physicians to educate new physicians, a
lack of informationontoxic substances present inthe environment, and the
widespread perceptionamongphysicians that environmental disease is difficult to
diagnose (Brown and Kelley, 2000). In the instance of deforestation, there is alack of

attentionpaid in the health fieldto people living in forestsbecause foresthave a small
population, resources are limited, and health planner seekmore for the money(Pierce
Colfer, 2008).
In places such as Africaofficials andproject managers for natural resource
management and rural development have not consideredHIV/AIDS and human
health to be their concernand have left it to staff that have not consideredthe natural
environment as an important aspect of their work (Lopez, 2008). Forest resources
offer food, medicinal plants, and functionas a source of cashincome for those
sufferingfrom HIV/AIDS (Lopez, 2008). Medicinal plants, whether herbal or
traditional, come from tree roots, bark, leaves and fruits. For those with HIV/AIDS,
these plants assist in supportingthe strengths of the immune system and improve
appetites (Lopez, 2008). Alongwith this, proper nutritionis extremelyimportant in
HIV and AIDS patients. Proper nutritiondelays the development of AIDS and
extends life expectancyand productivity of those that have developed the symptoms
of AIDS. Forests harvest leaves, mushrooms, flowers, fruits, roots, tubers, insects,
and large mammals and all are an array of foodsources. There is a range of forest-
based products that are available to supply a cash income for those that are suffering
from poor economicconditions of dealingwith HIV/AIDS. Trees offer firewood,
charcoal, herbal remedies andwild foods. (Lopez2008) Forestsare significant inthe
role of socioeconomicconditions of communities. They benefit the populations
surrounding them and with human deforestationonthe rise, these benefitswill no
longer be utilized. It is up to public health and private health officials to take astand
on training and preservation.

Forests are complexand rich. Forestlands play critical roles inreservoirs of
foodplants for communities withdifferinglifestyles. This can include hunter-gatherer
populations to populations living at the margin of the forest to agricultural
communities (Vinceti, Euzaguirre, and Johns, 2008). Simultaneously, climate change
and deforestationare decreasingthe qualityand the quantity of forests (Butler, 2008).
Slow changes in climatic conditions mayallow human populations time to adapt. For
example, people or communities maydevelop new ways of coping with, or
attenuating, rising residential temperatures. Abrupt climate changes do not allow such
opportunities. (Githeko andWoodward, 2003)
What efforts are we putting forthas a nation and globally to counteract this
climate change and deforestation?The U.S. Global Change ResearchProgram was
founded by Presidential Initiative in 1989 and mandated by Congress inthe Global
Change Researchact of 1990 (U.S. Global Change ResearchProgram, 2015). This act
was formedto develop and coordinate “a comprehensive and integratedUnitedStates
researchprogram which will assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess,
predict, and respondto human-induced and natural processes of global change”(U.S.
Global Change ResearchProgram, 2015). The Global Change ResearchProgram has
organized The National Global Change ResearchPlan2012-2021 that reflects
recommendations from multiple reports of the National Academies. This includes
listeningsessions withstakeholders aroundthe countryand collaborative planning
among the U.S. Global Change ResearchProgram member agencies. This plan
connects the fundamental human and Earth system researchwith credible information
into a coordinatedeffort forthe future benefit of the Nation(U.S. Global Research

Program, 2015). These types of assessmentsare valuable to risk managers, decision-
makers, and the public. The informationmay be utilizedto promote education,
training, and public awareness of the potential healthimpacts of climate change.
(Grambschand Menne, 2003)
Policies have beenarranged for developing nations to celebrate traditional
medicine and merelyacknowledging the needto pay more attentionto the resources
that forests offer(Fowler, 2008). This began in 1978 whenthe WorldHealth
Organization releasedits Alma Ata Declarationthat proposeda strategyfor
improving the health status of people around the world. This followeda 1977 strategy
to invest in researchontraditional medicine. The Alma Ata Declarationencourages
its member states to use indigenous medical practitionersinpublic health programs.
This has lead to various international organizations joiningwith the WorldHealth
Organization to promote the use of integrative medicine. These include the
Associationof South-East Asian Nations, the Pan-American HealthOrganizations,
the WorldBank, the WorldHealth Assembly, and the UnitedNations Children’s
Fund. The Alma Ata Declarationseeks to assemble the traditional healersand
traditional birthattendants intro professional associations because this puts them in a
better positionto receive medical training. (Fowler, 2008) It is in these times of
sickness and childbirththat the majorityof people will seekout these traditional
healers despite the establishment of hospitals andhealth centers (Cunningham,
Shanley, and Laird, 2008).
It is evident that environmental healthplays a large role inthe health of
individuals. Protectingout planet and utilizing its resources properlywouldbe

extremelybeneficial inthe longrun and help our planet and its inhabitants to grow
simultaneously. This includes recognizingthe people and professionals behindthe
science to contribute positivelyto this environment issue for the greater goodof
public health and general wellbeing.

References
Ali, Robbie; Allotey, Pascale;Butler, Colin; Manuel, Cesario; PierceColfer, Carol
J.; Cunningham, Tony; Dounias, Edmond; Dudley, Richard G.; Eyzaguirre,
Pablo; Fowler, Cynthia; Fröde, Alexander; Froment, Alain; Gardner, Robert
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Sally A.; Laird, Sarah; Leroy, Eric A.; Limberg, Godwin; Lopez, Pascal;
McMillen, Heather;Nemarundwe, Nontokozo;Pattanayak, Subhrendu K.;
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Health: Risksand Responses. McMichael, A.J., et all (Ed.). WorldHealth
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