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One of the leading medical journals, The Lancet, outlined that climate change currently represents the biggest threat for human health. In fact the climate change could be called "the threat of the 21^st century". The journal together with specialists from the University College of London, lately published a report about the way public health services will need to adapt. Besides, the report focused on the outcome of migrations that are triggered by climate change. The study authors hope their work will be a significant contribution to the call for decreasing the level of carbon emission and will aim towards making more comprehensible the ways in which human health will be influenced by climate change.

The climatologist Mark Maslin, who works at the University College London (UCL) described the work as "the Stern report for medics", referring to the review published in 2006 that highlighted the potential impacts of the climate change condition in economic terms and supported ample, early-stage action to address this condition.

"The medical profession has to wake up if we're going to save billions of lives. This is why it's in the Lancet - it is the only way to do this is working with medics and other professionals to get that message across," outlined Professor Maslin. He added that as a climatologist he considers that running around, pulling your hair out and screaming that "we are all going to die in a very horrible way" is neither the best option nor does it work. Recently the commission presented its assessment consisting of five parts and focusing on the global health threat. The assessment takes into consideration the social and political features of the current task.

"Apart from a small dedicated band of researchers, I think the health lobby has come late to this debate, but there's much that we can do to protect billions of people now and in the future," said the report's lead author Professor Anthony Costello from the Institute for Global Health.

Key Issues

There are several themes highlighted in the framework: the adaptation to a wormer world is the main concern for healthcare infrastructure; and extensive local awareness of the effects of climate change on human health is vital. The framework also focuses on the value of politicians and policymakers in regard to climate and problems linked to carbon emissions. Despite the fact that there is a number of disease vectors, including salmonella, which are influenced by temperature alterations and might even destroy some populations, the assessment's authors consider that the main threat comes from the people themselves. It is worth mentioning that climate change will widen the gap between the rich and the poor, with the poorest communities being hit the most and the hardest.

According to the authors, population growth in the poor areas will mix with the effects of climate change, which will lead to a worsening of food and water supplies. Such events will trigger mass migrations and lead to civil disturbances. "The Indian government has nearly completed plans for seven-foot-high double-thickness razor wire and steel fence 4500 kilometers long along the entire border with Bangladesh and it's there to keep out the climate migrants," mentioned the representative of the Institute for Health and Human Performance, professor Hugh Montgomery.

Although the report has the main idea of calling for help and awareness about the climate change, it is really not that negative towards the situation. "We felt that our report should somehow try to create a framework for hope and for action because a lot of people have gone from denial into a sense of shock and helplessness about climate change," mentioned Professor Costello. The commission looks forward to use its report in order to signal about the issues linked with climate change across the healthcare community. Besides, in two years the commission is expected to hold a summit on which it will raise questions regarding a more adaptable and knowledgeable global healthcare industry.