Climate change and health in the Eastern Mediterranean countries: a systematic review

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>To summarize the existing knowledge of the impact of climate change on health from previous research in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) and identify knowledge and research gaps.</jats:p><jats:p>Different databases were searched for relevant studies published in the region between 2000 and 2014. The review was limited to studies reporting the impacts of climate change on health or studying associations between meteorological parameters and well-defined human health outcomes.</jats:p><jats:p>This systematic review of 78 studies identified many knowledge and research gaps. Research linking climate change and health is scarce in the most vulnerable countries of the region. There is limited information regarding how changes in temperature, precipitation and other weather variables might affect the geographic range and incidence of mortality and morbidity from various diseases. Available research has many limitations and shortcomings that arise from inappropriate study designs, poor assessment of exposure and outcomes, questionable sources of data, lack of standardized methods, poor adjustment of confounders, limited geographical area studies, small sample sizes, poor statistical modeling and not testing for possible interactions between exposures.</jats:p><jats:p>Research and information on the effect of climate change on health are limited. Longitudinal studies over extended periods of time that investigate the link between climate change and health are needed. There is a need for studies to be expanded to include more countries in the region and to include other environmental, social and economic factors that might affect the spread of the disease.</jats:p>

Bibliometric analysis of peer-reviewed literature on climate change and human health with an emphasis on infectious diseases

“…The current study showed that the EMRO region had the least contribution despite that the region is expected to suffer from serious climate variations [117]. A systematic review on climate change and health in the EMRO region identified many knowledge and research gaps with research scarcity in this field [118]. The authors of the systematic review concluded that the impact of climate change on health is not recognized as a priority area by health researchers, health professionals and policymakers in the EMRO region.…”

Health effects of climate change: an overview of systematic reviews

“…Reviews suggest an association of most meteorological factors such as temperature increase, aridity, heat and heat waves with mental health outcomes, including hospital admissions for mental health reasons, 55 suicide, 100 and exacerbation of pre-existing mental health conditions, difficulty sleeping and fatigue. 35 No association was found between sunlight duration and suicide incidence.…”

Knowledge, perception and attitude about Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) among medical and pharmacy students of Pakistan

“…CCHF is an occupational disease for livestock workers, butchers, slaughterhouse workers, health care workers, animal husbandry workers and veterinarians who belong to a group of people at high risk of the disease in the endemic areas of CCHF [ 8 ]. The incidence rate increases by many folds during Eid ul Adha, a religious festival during which millions of animals are slaughtered [ 6 , 9 ]. As CCHF is a viral contagious endemic disease, cases of spread of this disease in healthcare professionals have also observed.…”