Climate Change and Human Health: Assessing the Impact of Environmental Stressors on Infectious and Non-Communicable Diseases

Abstract

Human health is threatened by climate change through temperature fluctuations, changes in rainfall, humidity, air pollution, and extreme weather. The aim of this paper was to determine the possible links between environmental risk factors and communicable and non-communicable diseases among vulnerable populations and in relation to Pakistan. Ecological analysis was proposed with a retrospective approach, using secondarily collected environmental and epidemiological data for the period of 2015-2024 in selected geographical regions. The evaluation considered temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), and extreme weather, as well as dengue, malaria, cholera, diarrhea, salmonella, influenza, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, kidney disease, diabetes, and mental illness. Seasonal temperature reached 36°C in June, whereas rainfall reached the maximum of 210 mm in July, and relative humidity reached 78% in August. The highest values of particulate matter concentrations were in winter months, with PM2.5 concentration equaling 85 µg/m³ and PM10 concentration equaled 165 µg/m³. Dengue and malaria cases were higher in autumn months (420 and 310, respectively), compared to cases of diarrhea and cholera in summer (520 and 160). Influenza cases were higher in winter (420). Cardiovascular diseases and kidney disease cases were higher when heatwaves occurred, while respiratory disease cases were higher when air pollution occurred. Heatwaves, flooding, and particulate matter had the highest environmental risks (4.9, 4.8, and 4.6). The chronic patients, lower socioeconomic status individuals, and outdoor workers had the highest vulnerability. The findings indicate that an integrated strategy for environmental monitoring, health surveillance and climate adaptation activities should be considered, although further statistical validation is needed to confirm exposure-health links.