In the Caribbean, larger islands like Cuba are seeing a downward trend but smaller islands like Saint Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, Anguilla and Saint Vincent and the Grenadine are just now reaching their first pandemic peaks, he said. “We have reason to be optimistic, but we must remain vigilant,” he said.īelize is reporting a sharp increase in Covid-19-related deaths, and Paraguay’s Covid-19 cases doubled in the last week, according to Barbosa. Those guidelines also support recent research that found air pollution is most likely a contributing factor to health burden caused by Covid-19.īarbosa gave an overview of Covid-19 in the Americas saying over the last week the region reported 800,000 new Covid-19 infections and 18,000 deaths - the lowest figures in over a year. When inhaled, it travels deep into lung tissue where it can enter the bloodstream and can contribute to asthma, cardiovascular disease and other respiratory illnesses. Fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, is the tiniest pollutant yet also among the most dangerous. That report followed the agency’s new air quality guidelines, released in September, which it said could prevent millions of deaths globally each year. The report described climate change as the “single biggest health threat facing humanity,” and outlined 10 recommended climate and health actions.
“And dengue, which typically follows a seasonal pattern, is being detected outside of its normal cycle as temperatures have warmed and as wet seasons have prolonged,” he said.Įarlier this month, the World Health Organization called for governments and policymakers to “act with urgency” on the climate and health crises. “Extreme weather and rising temperatures have changed our ecosystems and displaced people from their homes, often forcing humans to infringe on natural habitats and animals to move to more hospitable conditions,” Barbosa said, adding that this has led to an increase in diseases like Zika and Chagas. China and Germany experienced deadly flooding and Southern Europe battled wildfires of its own.
In addition to wildfires and drought in South America, the US has been battered by drought-fueled wildfires, flooding and hurricanes. Global leaders will focus on solutions to the climate crisis at COP26 after a summer packed with deadly extreme weather. The PAHO official also said wildfires and droughts have led to crop failure impacting the livelihoods of the agricultural workforce and increased food insecurity in the Americas. “The health of our planet and the health of our people are interlinked,” Barbosa said, adding that high temperatures and air pollution have led to a rise in cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
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