Environmental Networking Platform for Children and Youth by SAMSUNG E&A
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Climate Change happens to Health! |
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It has been estimated that 23% of deaths or a population of 2.4 million per year is attributable to environmental risk factors, whose impact is especially felt among the poor and vulnerable (children, women and rural and people with disabilities). About 60% of the ecosystem services are being degraded or subjected to pressure with consequences on the quality of air and water and an increase in natural disasters. Climate change is expected to affect health, agriculture, food security and water sectors. World leaders – in particular, African Ministers of Health and Environment resolved to implement all conventions and declarations that bear on health and environment particularly the Libreville, African Health Strategy of the African Union and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Climate change is among the important factors affecting socioeconomic development in Zambia. The country is experiencing climate-induced hazards such as drought, flash floods and extreme temperature intensity. However, capacities are limited for conducting climate change vulnerability and adaptation assessment at country level. Local policies and strategies across sectors need to be harmonized for effective impact on effects of climate change. In view of the above in 2012, I was among very active, energetic age groups between 16 – 55 years, we met at a cozy place to design the Zambia Ureport in conjunction with National ADS Council in Zambia with the support from the Zambian government and UNICEF Zambia, UNICEF Uganda. UNICEF Uganda came to help us structure our own style of Ureport because they had their Ureport programme already rolled out and thousands of awesome Uganda youth had joined and expanded the programme from its initial stand point of addressing HIV and STI related issues to other prominent and pressing matter affecting the young people. This was motivation enough, Zambia was now ready to launch the programme to her youth, I had the honor of doing the very first demonstration of registering on the platform and after I had finished I met this amazing ma?am from SFH Ms. Sarah, apparently she was so impressed with the delivery of the demonstration and invited me to become a part of her international community called the Peoples Health Movement (PHM). People?s Health Movement (PHM) is a global network bringing together grassroots health activists, civil society organizations and academic institutions from around the world, particularly from low and middle income countries. PHM currently has presence in around 70 countries that include both individuals and well-established circles with their own governance structures. PHM works towards the revitalization of Primary Health Care (PHC), as described in the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978 as well as to address the social determinants of health, in particular, the growing inequity within and between nations mostly due to the unfair economic structures which lock so many people into poverty and poor health. That?s PHM in a nutshell, so Ms. Sarah and a few colleagues of hers with support from myself tried countless time to establish a PHM chapter here in Zambia and thankfully, this year as it was said- ?2015 is going to be a pivotal year? indeed so, we opened the chapter early June and had the presence of the Secretariat from South Africa. The PHM band here in Zambia is now fully aware of the danger of not having a central focal point speaking and fighting for the people with regards to health and we have now seen that many effects to health from climate change are going unabated so it?s time we rose to the challenge and fought for proper health rights and justice towards mitigating this menace. Member of the PHM Zambia chapter are many from the medical fraternity and they all report with that climate change is affecting health drastically and seating by and doing nothing will only make things worse we need to find solutions to curb these effects. Zambia is not alone in this feel of health deprivation by climate change. With disasters hitting Myanmar and the Middle East this week, Barack Obama has joined the world?s leading health experts to support their claim that Climate Change may pose the biggest health risk of the 21st Century. As Obama today announced that the USA is now taking ?unprecedented action? to combat climate change, he also noted that ?no challenge poses a greater threat to our future and future generations than a change in climate?. However, his plan is not just about preventing the longer term impacts of climate change. According to health experts across America, his plan to reduce pollution from coal-fired plants will actively prevent 3,600 premature deaths, lead to 90,000 fewer asthma attacks in children, and prevent 300,000 missed work and school days. Actions such as this however will not be able to reach as far as Myanmar, which this week reported the worst flooding across the country in decades. According to an update from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, between 67,000 and 110,000 have been were "severely affected" by floods that look to set the country back years. "I've never experienced such a terrible flood in my life," Thein Tun, a 57-year-old retired teacher from one of the worst-hit areas that has yet to receive aid, western Rakhine state. However, other parts of Central Asia are currently in the midst of one of the hottest heat-waves ever recorded. In the wake of temperatures above 46 degrees Celsius last week, Iraq had to declare a 4 day national holiday. Meanwhile, temperatures in neighboring Iran reached a relative temperature of 74 Celsius today. This comes in the wake of recent heatwaves which have killed upwards of 2000 people in India and Pakistan earlier this year. In the wake of events such as these, Catherine Thomasson, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility has called Climate Change ?the greatest threat to public health in the 21st Century?. This reiterates a growing awareness from the international medical establishment as to the dire impacts that Climate Change is already having. In fact, it is the central theme of a recent series of publications commissioned by the leading medical research journal, the Lancet. According to Nick Watts, the head of the commission, ?Climate change has the potential to undermine the last 50 years of advancements in public health.? Nick calls ?the great localizer of the impacts of Climate Change,? because the impacts that will be faced ?aren?t just in low income countries, they are in middle and high income countries as well?. And these impacts are ?especially alarming?. Not only does Climate Change have the potential to affect people at the forefront of floods and heatwaves as we have seen this week, but he also believes that if drastic action is not taken, Climate impacts have the potential to affect every aspect of our lives. As Obama notes, "Climate change is not a problem for another generation. Not anymore." That?s right Mr. President, we the Paradigm Youth stand with you for climate action NOW. We cannot deprive future generation of a healthy tomorrow.
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4 Comments
Thanks a lot for sharing Zambia action against climate change. Keep it up mate! =D
Posted 15-09-2015 10:17
Climate change was a problem for past , challenge for the present and serious threat for the future. All actions must be put directing towards fighting climate change . It is adversely impacting human health and needs to be dealt on top priority to have safe lives.. Glad to know about PHM especially PHM chapter in Zambia.
Posted 13-09-2015 18:32
Well reported, Jack. Climate change is indeed without doubt the greatest threat to public health in the 21st Century, unless we make efforts to mitigate this urgently.
Posted 13-09-2015 14:55
Yeah, climate change seriously affects health. Good report Jack.
Jack 1 complements for you )
After posting your articles , please check either it is posted in same format/way you wished to as many problems may arise in TUNZA website.
It changes comma signs to question mark.
Spaces are deleted.
SO , check your articles and modify cause viewer finds it better on reading .
Good Luck .
Posted 13-09-2015 14:35