A regional approach to climate and health adaptation in the Middle East

作者：Maya Negev, Mohammed Shaheen, Assaf Hochman, Haneen Khreis, Hagai Levine, Ikram Salah, Pinhas Alpert, Pantelis Georgiades, Nadav Davidovitch, Madi Jaghbir · 发表于：European Journal of Public Health · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.372 · 被引用次数：1 · 研究领域：Climate Change and Health Impacts、Viral Infections and Vectors、Zoonotic diseases and public health

Abstract Background The Middle East (ME) is expected to be influenced by climate changes that will significantly affect human health. An increase in temperature and in the intensity, length and frequency of heat waves, alongside a decrease in precipitation, have been observed, and longer summers and shorter winters are expected. Population growth intensifies the stress on water and the ecosystem in an already sensitive region. Moreover, political conflicts intensify the vulnerability of the region's population and prevent cross-border collaboration and knowledge transfer. The aims of this talk are to: 1) present climate scenarios and potential health risks for the ME; and 2) present a regional inter-disciplinary collaboration that focuses on climate and health research. Methods To prioritize regional research directions, a group of climatologists and public health researchers from the ME and Europe convened in an expert workshop, which included a process of consensus-building regarding research priorities and potential collaboration. Results Associated health risks are mainly increases in morbidity and mortality due to heatwaves, and increases in potentially deadly vector- water- air- and food-borne diseases such as chikungunya, yellow fever and dengue fever, due to expansion of invasive species of mosquitoes. There are wide economic and infrastructure gaps among the region's countries, entailing different levels of preparedness. Countries also face multiple intra- and inter-...