Climate change and its health implications at Bongo District of Upper East Region of Ghana

Abstract

Changes in climate features such as rainfall and temperature have impacts on health and the understanding of the climate changes has the ability to mitigate many of the climate-related diseases. Climate in the Upper East Region is changing and has been validated by appraising rainfall and temperature data for the region from 1954-2014, including the Bongo District and relationship of health data were compared with the climate data. There was relatively steady increase in temperature from 1954-1982 with sharp temperature variations between minimum and peak temperature ranges from 1983-2014. Rainfall amounts showed drastic variations for peak months instead of a same month showing maximum amount of rains irrespective of the year. Using the regression analysis to determine trends showed some diseases to relate to some climate features. The study found diarrhea, skin diseases, malaria, and upper respiratory diseases to increase and relate to climate. It also identified malnutrition to decrease, which may have indirect relationship with changing climate. Causes of some health issues in the district has been recognized to have links of the changing climate of which knowledge of it will help in public health sensitization to mitigate the occurrence and recurrence of the climate-related diseases.

Keywords: Climate change, Health, Malaria, Temperature anomaly, Diarrhea, Bongo