Impact of Climate Change on the Outbreak of Infectious Diseases Among Children in Bangladesh: It's Prevention and Control

Abstract

The impact of climate change and global warming are worldwide and global concern. Climate change related events like temperature, rainfall, humidity, cyclone etc. have direct and indirect adverse impacts on the outbreak of infectious disease among children. WHO demonstrates in a report estimates that more than 33% of diseases in children under the age of 5 are caused by environmental exposures? Infectious diseases continue to be the major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Bangladesh is unfortunately home to many infectious diseases. In the recent national demographic and health survey (year 2011) 62% of deaths among children under the age of 5 years in Bangladesh were ascribed to infectious diseases. A number of waters, air and vector borne infectious diseases including diarrhea, typhoid, measles, rubella, kala-azar, malaria and dengue etc. are common in Bangladesh. Emerging Nipah virus and chikungunya are also prevailing in many areas of the country. This study was conducted to determine the "Impact of climate change on the outbreak of infectious diseases among children in Bangladesh: its prevention and control" in two climate sensitive district of the country. The study area Rajshahi and Naogaon are the western districts known as barindh area in Bangladesh and poses drought prone plane land, riverine and low lands. The long-term changes of annual mean, maximum and minimum temperature of study area over the study period (1964-2011) found to have in general increasing trends in annual mean and annual mean minimum temperature but the mean maximum temperature slightly rising m recent past decades. Seasonal mean temperatures are also found to have increased trend. The observed highest average maximum temperature was 30.55°C in the month of April in pro monsoon season and the lowest average temperature was 15.45°C in the month of January in winter season. The long-ten changes in annual rainfall showed declining trend. The average annual rainfall was 1489 mm/year. Seasonal rainfalls also showed markedly reduced in winter and post autumn season. Most of the rainfalls occurred in monsoon season that is also declined in the study area. The study indicates that the climatic variables including temperature and rainfall (seasonal and annual) are factors for infectious disease outbreak like diarrhea, kala-azar, measles etc. in the study area. Incidence of diarrhea showed positive correlation with both annual and seasonal rainfall and temperature implies that diarrhea is endemic in the study area. Kala-azar was also found to be positively c01Telated with rainfall and annual maximum temperature but found negative with annual minimum temperature. The primary data reveals that temperature is the main and rainfalls comes next as causes for diarrhea, kala-azar, measles like disease and newer Nipah virus infection and their outbreak among children. Data showed that the children in the study area were highly vaccinated. Among the vaccine preventable diseases only measles like cases and outbreak found. In addition to laboratory confirmed measles outbreak a large amount of measles like outbreak identified as laboratory confirm rubella outbreak which is newer in the study area. The incidence of measles like disease was found positive correlation with maximum temperature and negatively correlated with average minimum temperature and total annual rainfalls. To address the existing and future impact of climate change on the outbreak of infectious diseases among children, climate sensitive infectious disease surveillance, strengthening of routine immunization and introduction of new vaccination program need to be considered immed