A Nursing Perspective on Climate Change and Planetary Health
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Erwin William A. Leyva, MPH, N
Introduction
In the next thirty years, the World Health Organization (2016) estimates 250,000 deaths per year attributable to climate change. Epidemiologic studies suggest the climate change increases the risk for cardiovascular and respiratory disease, injuries, vector-borne diseases, malnutrition and mental health problems (Song et al., 2017; WHO, 2015). These links between environment and health have long been explored. Florence Nightingale, the matriarch of modern nursing, believed in the importance of clean air and water to sustain basic health needs. Though the current understanding of climate change and health calls for a multi-sectoral approach, nursing science offers a significant role in the discourse and areas of action.
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