Alarmed by the imminent threat posed by the spread of the Zika
virus, Senator Lorna Regina “Loren” B. Legarda raised concerns that climate
change may have fueled the outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease, which has
been linked to birth defects and death of newborns in Latin America.
“As climate change alters rainfall
patterns and brings deadly, intensified and frequent calamities, it will affect
public health,” said Ms. Legarda, UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience and
Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change.
Citing the World Health Organization
(WHO), Ms. Legarda said that Aedes mosquitoes such as
Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, known carriers of the Zika virus and dengue
virus, are expected to thrive in a warmer climate and reproduce more quickly
and bite more frequently at higher temperatures.
According to WHO, temperature increases
of 2-3ºC would increase the number of people who, in climatic terms, are at
risk of malaria by around 3- 5%, i.e. several hundred million.
For a more relatable scenario, in the
Philippines the rising cases of dengue and malaria are related to climate
change. In 1998, when the Philippines experienced El Niño, almost 40,000 dengue
cases, 1,200 cholera cases and nearly 1,000 typhoid fever cases nationwide were
recorded.
“The state of our health as human beings
is under threat but it is not a death sentence—yet. We are alive and able to
address the climate crisis. We can no longer deny the link between climate
change and public health. As scientists, doctors and health workers act double
time to limit the spread of the Zika virus and other vector-borne diseases, we
must do our share by addressing the factors that contribute to the spread of
these diseases,” Ms. Legarda concluded.
The WHO designated the Zika virus and
its suspected complications in newborns as a public health emergency of
international concern. The virus has alarmed public health officials in recent
months because of its possible association with thousands of suspected cases of
brain damage in babies. WHO has estimated that the virus will reach most of the
hemisphere and infect up to 4 million people by year’s end.
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