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Doctos warns health impacts
of climate change
Sydney—Climate change is likely to lead to higher rates of some
infectious and respiratory diseases as well as more injuries from
storms and bushfires, a report by Australian doctors warned Sunday.
The Doctors for the Environment Australia report found that over the
next decade, the health of children and the elderly would be most at
risk from rising temperatures.
“In 2020, it is likely that Australian doctors and other health
professionals will be seeing patients with a diverse range of
climate change-related illnesses,” the group, which aims to raise
awareness about the health impacts of global warming, said in its
report.
“These include heat stress, other heat-related illness events
(affecting the heart, blood vessels and lungs), trauma from extreme
weather events, and more allergic diseases.”
Meanwhile, greater air pollution would increase respiratory
illnesses and higher temperatures could raise the risk of some
infectious diseases such as gastroenteritis and mosquito-borne
ailments such as Dengue Fever.
Forecasters predict Australia will experience more extreme weather
events, such as droughts, fires, floods and storms due to global
warming.—AFP
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