Dr Md Iqbal Kabir :: The recent Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of IPCC working group has prepared a summary for policy makers and in his opening presentation at the COP19 the IPCC president has shown us that the current trends in Earth System, carbon cycle including ocean acidification will lead to continuing – and more severe – climate change. The changing climate will inevitably affect the basic requirements for maintaining health: clean air and water, sanitary environments, sufficient food and adequate shelter. Many diseases and health problems may be exacerbated by climate change. We are waiting for the projections of working group II (AR5) on human health, well-being and security to be completed by March 2014.
Bangladesh is among the most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change due to its geographical and socio-economic conditions, despite that fact that it has been, along with many other, a least contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions. As a disaster prone country Bangladesh is experiencing extreme weather events frequently like flood, cyclone salinity intrusion which have direct and indirect adverse health impacts.
The Climate Change and Health Promotion Unit (CCHPU) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, People’s Republic of Bangladesh believes National Adaptation Plans should incorporate Health sector in the process of various adaptation approaches based on the Vulnerability and Adaptation assessment and a National Health Adaptation Strategy. Results from CCHPU pilots evidenced it could be resilience-based approaches, community-based approaches, public-private-partnership at community level, risk reduction approaches, risk management approaches, integrated surveillance approaches and child –centered health adaptation approaches. Health early warning systems include integrated diseases surveillance system from the field up to central level. A web- based surveillance of climate sensitive diseases and community Radio are two successful evidences of CCHPU.
CCHPU also emphasizes on calculating ‘Burden of Health Sector’ for adaptation which includes climate attributed diseases, health status and the loss and damage of health care facilities.
Dr Md Iqbal Kabir : Coordinator, Climate Change and Health Promotion Unit,
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Bangladesh
PhD candidate, University of Newcastle, Australia
Member, Bangladesh Delegation, COP19, Warsaw, Poland
