Environment
The global health effects of climate change are not well quantified today and are likely to increase in the future, with lower-income countries bearing the brunt of greater food insecurity, increased rates of chronic respiratory illnesses, and shifts in vector-borne diseases. This section explores the global health nexus between climate change and pollution and the possibilities for a more coherent policy approach to these issues.
Environment
32,200
Agricultural burning accounted for approximately 32,200 premature deaths in 2019
Deaths related to the use of fire to clear land
25 Percent
The U.S. makes up 5 percent of the global population, but produces 25 percent of the world's CO2 emissions
The United States and CO2 emissions
4 Million
In 2019, outdoor air pollution was linked to more than 4 million deaths
Air pollution-linked deaths
One-Third
The one-third of Earth under the guardianship of Indigenous peoples boasts ~80 percent of global biodiversity
Indigenous Land Guardianship Around the World
5 Percent
In India, health care contributes to 5 percent of the national carbon footprint
Carbon footprint of India's health-care industry
700,000
Indonesia dumps close to 700,000 tons of plastic into the ocean each year
Indonesia and plastic waste
62,000
In 2018, China reported 62,000 heat-related deaths in people over age 65
Aging and heat
Featured
Plastics Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Living in a world swimming in synthetic chemicals
Bringing New Life to Plastics
A look at how plastics are being reduced, reused, and recycled
The Emerging Health Crisis of Microplastic Debris
Microplastics are everywhere, including our bodies
In Parched Zimbabwe, Climate Change Pushes Tsetse to New Areas
Health experts will monitor tsetse-caused sleeping sickness to stem its spread
From Scalpels to Security
Examining the intersection of global surgery, climate change, and human security
Monkeypox Timeline
A frequently updated tracker of emerging developments from the beginning of the 2022 monkeypox outbreak
China's Attack on a Top Industrial Health Hazard
How China is bringing the devastating lung disease pneumoconiosis to its knees
Climate Change and Incarceration
People in prison are vulnerable to extreme temperatures, diseases, and displacement
Confronting an Invisible Enemy in Ukraine
The insidious march of infectious diseases during war
Life in Plastic
A look at how microplastics are infiltrating our oceans, air, and bodies
Heat, Dust, Fever
India's climate adaptation plan for health should reflect regional and national needs
Why Health Systems Need a Climate Reckoning
Tackling waste, CO2 emissions, and energy consumption in medicine
Climate Change and Global Surgery
Access to surgical care doesn't have to harm the environment and future generations
Indigenous Land Guardianship Around the World
An interview with conservationist and Nia Tero founder Peter Seligmann