Cora Palomar-Nelson
Climate change and environmental shifts have become an undeniable reality across the
globe, whether subtle or dramatic in their manifestation. One direct, and occasionally
indirect, product of environmental change is the rapid spread of various communicable and non-communicable diseases. As an increasing number of people who live in climate-vulnerable areas fall ill with severe diseases, it is imperative that community members, politicians, and health workers of all sectors take immediate action. By gathering data on how different climate changes exacerbate the spread of particular diseases, it becomes easier to innovate effective climate mitigation strategies for resilient human, animal, and environmental health systems. A current project led by Seaside Sustainability’s Climate Action and Advocacy Team is tackling these issues head-on.
Polio, a disease that had devastating impacts on the world’s youth only half a century ago, is now nearly eradicated. Nevertheless, while most of the globe worries little about the deadly viral disease, two countries remain endemic: Afghanistan and Pakistan. The nations, which share a 1,640-mile-long border called the Durand Line, both suffer from the spread of polio due to lower-than-average vaccination rates and consistent travel between countries. The World Health Assembly established the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, which collaborates with organizations such as the World Health Organization, Rotary International, UNICEF, and others to completely eradicate polio. However, recent climate disasters in Pakistan have made the goal particularly challenging to achieve.
Between May and October of 2022, Pakistan experienced intense drought followed by destructive flooding. Due to abnormal levels of rainfall, most vital sanitation infrastructure including sewage systems, water filtration, and clean water pipelines was destroyed. During and after the floods, 5.4 million people were forced to use contaminated water sources to survive. Without reliable road access to unvaccinated populations, vaccination campaigns at the local and nationwide level had to make significant adaptations to their distribution processes. Rates of polio rose among unvaccinated children. The deadly impact of extreme weather on the transmission of polio is one of many case studies in which unprecedented environmental challenges perpetuate health disasters.
The interconnectivity between human and environmental health is at the core of Seaside Sustainability’s new Climate & Disease Transmission Project. A team of dedicated interns is currently studying over 30 cases of climate and health overlap, including that of polio in Pakistan. Each case study will be consolidated into an infographic, all of which will be linked to an interactive map. As the impacts of climate change are increasingly felt around the globe, public health and environmental professionals report a likelihood- if not certainty- that there will be more epidemics and pandemics in the near future. Furthermore, low and middle-income countries will continue to feel the disproportionate weight of both climate change and health disasters. However, there is hope for a healthier future. Numerous community groups, nonprofits, government initiatives, and international organizations are taking inspiring action against human and environmental suffering. The Climate & Disease Transmission Project will provide readers with diverse social, cultural, and legislative perspectives on the climate crisis by highlighting the work of active, environmentally conscious groups around the world.
The project has been in progress since the beginning of September of 2024. Each team member is leading research on an average of six self-selected case studies. During bi-weekly meetings, project participants are encouraged to discuss their progress, share questions, and exchange research materials. A breadth of global health reports, databases, environmental journals, and more have been collected to ensure that project research is thorough and accurate. Furthermore, two global environmental health experts have been consulted for advice on specific diseases, resource gathering, and the connection between environmental and human health. Together, the experts have extensive experience working at the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), FIOCRUZ, and other major health groups. Their unique opinions and ideas were essential in project construction.
Although the destruction of infrastructure due to extreme flooding in Pakistan has had negative consequences on vaccine distribution, it has also facilitated a swift and effective public health response from an organization called the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme. The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme was founded in 1994 to combat polio transmission across the nation. One of their most famous initiatives is the establishment of Permanent Transit Points (PTPs), which are vaccination sites set up along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although PTPs had existed prior to the floods of 2022, they played an especially important role in decreasing the threat of polio by vaccinating children who had been unable to receive a vaccine due to the natural disaster. Over 500 PTPs currently dot the Durand Line and over 300 people are vaccinated at a singular station daily. The Climate & Disease Transmission Project hopes to bring to light little-known programs like the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program’s PTPs with the intention of inspiring innovative climate solutions in the next generation of environmental justice leaders.
The Climate & Disease Transmission Project is centered around a mission of awareness, activism, health equity, and environmental justice. As the team transitions to organizing research and creating accessible informational materials, project members assume the responsibility of using their investigative and data analysis skills to educate others. While countless organizations around the world are coordinating climate and disease-resilient policies, programs, and workshops, there is one overarching method of truly and effectively mitigating the impact of climate change on health: education. Through the Climate & Disease Transmission Project, the research team aims to guide individuals of all backgrounds toward finding inspiration in the work of change-making international organizations. In learning about the politically, socially, and culturally diverse approaches to climate change mitigation and environmental justice, it is hoped that readers will be inspired to start their own movements for a healthier world. Improving the health of all countries, all animals, and all environments requires the participation of all people around the world.