Extremely high temperatures are one of the main causes of death in people with heart disease, the elderly and children. These findings are the result of a joint research project conducted by Professors Truong Quang Hoc and Tran Duc Hinh of the Hanoi National University and the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology.
Negative weather phenomena that kill people and cause crop failures also lead to increases in epidemics and malnutrition, as well as degrading the human body’s immunity system, according to the research.
Unusual weather changes in Vietnam in the last 50-60 years have had a bad impact on the lives of millions of people. It is also estimated that damage caused by natural disasters accounts for 1.5 percent of the country’s GDP every year.
According to the latest research from the UN, global climate change is a major cause of the increase of malaria and diarrhoea, as well as malnutrition. It is forecast that every year, 5 million people in the world are infected with these diseases and 150,000 of them die.
Public unawareness of noise, dust, water pollution and unhygienic food, has made climate change in Vietnam even worse, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
To minimise the impact of climate change, the Government is implementing a national programme to cope with the matter and sees economic growth linked to environmental protection.
Measures to prevent diseases have been integrated with environmental hygiene campaigns in anticipation of outbreaks of diseases.
In response to this year’s World Environment Day (June 5), with the theme of “Your planet needs you to unite to combat climate change,” Vietnam has launched several campaigns, such as planting trees and forests and cleaning up public areas combined with publicity campaigns.