Title : Climate changes and increasing pollution and respiratory illnesses
Abstract:
Climate change, global warming, and environmental pollution are increasingly recognized as major drivers of respiratory morbidity and mortality worldwide. Rising temperatures, more frequent wildfires, prolonged pollen seasons, desert dust, ground-level ozone, and exposure to fine particulate matter contribute to worsening air quality and greater respiratory disease burden. These environmental stressors promote oxidative stress, airway epithelial injury, inflammation, immune dysregulation, impaired mucociliary clearance, and DNA damage, thereby increasing the risk and severity of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial and other chronic lung diseases, lung cancer, and respiratory infections. Children, older adults, individuals with pre-existing cardiopulmonary disease, outdoor workers, and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations are disproportionately affected. Climate-related displacement, overcrowding, and disruption of healthcare systems may further facilitate the transmission and poor outcomes of respiratory infections. Addressing this growing challenge requires coordinated clinical, public health, and policy responses, including improved air-quality surveillance, wildfire preparedness, reduction of fossil-fuel emissions, cleaner transportation, healthier urban design, occupational protection, and patient education. Protecting respiratory health must therefore remain a central component of global climate-change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
