By Jose de la Cruz, LEPRA Health in Action
Flooding as a result of climate change will have the most impact on disabled people
Climate change is a health and disability issue. It will affect the world’s poor and of those disabled people will be the most severely affected. People with Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) and other disabilities in developing countries will bear the impact of climate change.
Many factors associated with climate change will affect people with disabilities. These include: heat waves, drought and the resulting food insecurity, water scarcity, flooding and climate related disasters. All of these factors will have severe effects on the health of disabled people.
It is well documented that people with disabilities are more vulnerable during emergencies. This is because they have more complex issues during resettlement. Access and transport barriers are some of these issues. Often they are also unprepared and ill-equipped during emergencies.
For organizations and agencies working with people suffering from LF disabilities climate change will pose many challenges. During emergencies locating patients will be a problem. Floods and other disasters will prevent or complicate the ability to monitor adherence to the self care that is an essential part of morbidity management. Furthermore, if water becomes limited it is likely to be prioritised for drinking rather than the washing of limbs. Access to medicines and doctors for disabled people will also be minimal.
People are more vulnerable in low lying areas and island chars in Bangladesh
Twenty-six million People have already been displaced by climate change related events. This number increases by a million every year. By 2030 this number is projected to triple due to increased vulnerability of low lying islands and countries like Bangladesh to flooding. In Bangladesh there are 4 million people affected by LF related disabilities: they are more likely to be affected by climate change.
Given these factors, it is imperative that we work together to help prepare people with NTD disabilities to cope during emergencies and to address the long term issue of climate change. There are however immediate steps that we can take to help people adapt to risk. Such strategies might include the training of people with disabilities in disaster management with emphasis placed practicing self-care in a resource constrained setting; the inclusion of people with disabilities within all national disaster management plans, and the training of people with disabilities in monitoring and support of patients on self care.
Jose de la Cruz is Senior Programmes Officer at LEPRA Health in Action where he is involved in programme development, implementation and evaluation of projects in Asia. Before joining LEPRA in 2005 Jose had 12 years experience of working in international development.
LEPRA Health in Action works to treat, educate and support people in some of the world’s most deprived countries. Originally formed in 1924 with the aim “to rid the British Empire of leprosy” we have built on our extensive experience to address not only prevention and treatment of leprosy, but also other diseases of poverty including lymphatic filariasis, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria. In order to do this we need to continue to increase the availability of health care and improve its quality.