Climate Change and Human Health

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the impacts of climate change on human health.

Climate Change

Long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place.

Heat Waves

Periods of greater than 5 consecutive days of daily maximum temperatures that exceed average maximum by 5C or more.

Urban Heat Islands

Urban areas that experience significantly warmer temperatures than their rural surroundings due to human activities.

Vector-borne diseases

Infectious diseases transmitted by vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks.

Global Burden of Disease

A measure of the impact of health problems in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost.

Flooding

Overflow of water onto land that is normally dry, which can lead to increased waterborne illness.

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

A climate pattern that describes the variations in ocean temperatures and weather patterns in the Equatorial Pacific.

Non-infectious Health Effects

Health impacts not caused by infectious diseases, such as heat stress and crop failures due to climate change.

Malnutrition

A condition resulting from eating a diet in which nutrients are either not enough or too much, leading to health problems.

J-shaped curve in heat mortality

A graphical representation showing that mortality from heat increases at both low and high temperatures.