Exploring Climate Change Through the Lens of Health Equity

The effects of climate change disproportionately impact marginalized populations and countries with developing economies. As a result, people within these regions and populations bear the brunt of climate change-related health disparities. In a new article published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Nambi Ndugga and Samantha Artiga explore how population-level health is impacted by climate change and how social determinants of health (SODH) play a role in health outcomes.

According to the authors, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that different climate drivers, including increasing temperatures, precipitation extremes, extreme weather, and rising sea levels, affect health through a range of exposure pathways, including extreme heat, poor air quality, reduced food and water quality, changes in infectious agents, and population displacement (Figure 1). These exposures may lead to negative health outcomes such as heat-related and cardiopulmonary illnesses; food-, water-, and vector-borne diseases, and worsened mental health and stress.”

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(Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 24^th, 2022)