Tackling the health impacts of climate change in the twenty-first century

The turn of the twenty-first century has borne witness to the seemingly relentless march of climate change, with global mean temperatures and sea levels projected to rise significantly in the near future. Despite considerable improvements in healthcare, mortality rates and life expectancy worldwide over the past few decades, there is increasing evidence postulating the potentially adverse impacts of environmental alterations on health in more ways than one. These not only involve direct and indirect climatic-related health impacts, but also those modulated by human aspects. Undeniably, there is a pressing need to recognize these issues and come up with appropriate solutions to address them as much as possible. Fortunately, this has led to the development of a wide range of measures encompassing both adaptation and mitigation strategies, alongside the recent Paris accords which highlight renewed global resolve in tackling these challenges in a collaborative and coordinated manner. However, progress has been relatively muted, and whether these prove to be the turning point remains very much to be seen. Nonetheless, taking the above into consideration, there is little doubt about the gravity of the situation, and that much more needs to be done to integrate and bring society forward in this new era.