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Climate and biodiversity change are not only serious environmental issues but also major challenges to public health.
Climate and biodiversity change affect not only the environment but also human health, leading to heat stress, deterioration in air and water quality, and changes in the risks of the spread of certain infectious diseases.
Marine Hovhannisyan, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health at Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU), told Armenpress in an interview that, for Armenia, the most concerning issues include heat, drought, water scarcity, and air pollution.
Reducing the health impacts of climate and biodiversity change requires cooperation across different sectors, the integration of data, and long-term surveillance of diseases and their vectors, she said.
According to Hovhannisyan, one of the main factors affecting health as a result of climate change is heat stress. This summer, high temperatures were recorded in Europe, resulting in deaths, while the number of hospitalizations due to heat stress increased.
“In addition to heat stress, there is, of course, deterioration in air and water quality, shortages of water and food, and changes in the transmission of infections among the population. The consequences of floods and fires are also emerging,” Hovhannisyan said.
Of concern in the context of climate change is not only the exacerbation of already known diseases but also the emergence of certain infections in areas where they were previously uncommon. Hovhannisyan referred to cases of West Nile fever recorded in Armenia in 2024.
“Uncommon diseases were recorded here in 2024; we are talking about cases of West Nile fever. Around 100 cases were recorded, and there were even deaths. However, the examination of mosquitoes did not detect the pathogen in them,” she said.
According to the public health specialist, changes in climatic conditions may increase the risk of the spread of certain diseases. These include visceral leishmaniasis, leptospirosis, and tularemia.
“After floods, when water quality deteriorates, the prevalence and incidence of these diseases increase,” Hovhannisyan said.
Changes in climatic conditions affect the breeding of disease-carrying insects, the length of their active season, and their distribution. As a result, they may also appear in regions where they were previously uncommon, contributing to the emergence of various diseases.
Heatwaves and air pollution are particularly dangerous for people with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, the expert said.
Dehydration in hot weather places additional strain on the cardiovascular system and can lead to a deterioration in health and hospitalization.
“People who have heart or respiratory diseases are exposed to dehydration in hot weather. The body becomes dehydrated, placing additional strain on the cardiovascular system, and this can certainly lead to a deterioration in their condition, potentially resulting in hospitalization,” she said.
According to the specialist, air pollution combined with heat causes additional harm to health. Its effects are not limited to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems; it can also affect the endocrine and nervous systems, as well as the growth and development of children and adolescents.
Addressing the consequences of biodiversity loss, Hovhannisyan noted that disruption of natural ecosystems can alter the relationships between wild animals, disease-causing pathogens, and humans.
According to her, when animal habitats disappear or shrink, animals may come closer to humans. At the same time, climate change can affect the distribution of pathogens and the organisms that transmit them.
“Biodiversity loss changes the relationships between wild animals, pathogens, and humans. For example, when habitats disappear or shrink, animals may come closer to humans. Climate can also change the distribution of pathogens and vectors,” she said, emphasizing that the nature of the impact depends on the local ecosystem and human activity.
According to the specialist, the long-term consequences of climate change may also manifest themselves through water scarcity, droughts, changes in food quality, and declining crop yields. These factors can affect people’s nutrition, immune systems, and overall health.
The health impacts of climate change do not affect everyone equally. According to Hovhannisyan, the most vulnerable groups are children, older people, pregnant women, and people with chronic diseases.
“Poverty, poor housing conditions, rural isolation, and limited access to medical services increase vulnerability. As a result, risks are distributed unequally,” she said.
These circumstances are important when developing measures to prevent climate-related hazards and protect different groups of the population.
Addressing the preparedness of Armenia’s healthcare system, Marine Hovhannisyan said that the health risks associated with climate change have been clearly defined. These include heat, air and water pollution, food safety issues, and diseases transmitted from animals to humans.
At the same time, she said, identifying risks does not necessarily mean that sufficient data are available or that prevention systems are operating with the required level of effectiveness.
“Joint, long-term surveillance of diseases, vectors, and weather indicators is necessary, as is the development and active use of early response systems,” she said.
According to Hovhannisyan, it is important to study not only individual diseases but also the relationships between disease vectors and changes in weather conditions. This would make it possible to identify potential threats earlier and respond to them in a timely manner.
According to Hovhannisyan, reducing the health impacts of climate and biodiversity change requires measures aimed at reducing air pollution, ensuring water and food safety, and monitoring disease vectors and animal diseases. Training healthcare workers and protecting vulnerable groups are also important.
She said that healthcare and environmental agencies, those responsible for agriculture, and local self-government bodies should cooperate in this work by exchanging data and jointly developing measures.
Addressing the link between biodiversity conservation and the protection of human health in the framework of COP17, Hovhannisyan said that commitments undertaken through the international process should be linked to clear and measurable health targets.
According to her, it is necessary to assess the results of implemented measures in terms of reducing air pollution, detecting diseases transmitted from animals to humans at an early stage, and reducing climate-related illness and mortality.
“For Armenia, prevention is the most important priority from a public health perspective. Prevention should be based on integrating health, climate, and environmental data and identifying risks early, before they turn into a public health crisis,” the specialist said.
It will be difficult to identify threats in a timely manner without cooperation and data sharing between different sectors, the expert warned.
“No matter how much each entity carries out its work independently, if institutions operate in isolation and there is no data sharing or cooperation, there is a risk that we will fail to detect threats early and the risk will already have turned into a crisis. That is why joint work, data integration, and long-term surveillance are necessary,” Hovhannisyan concluded.