Climate change and respiratory diseases: state and exploratory analyses of patient data in Limpopo province, South Africa

This is an additional and follow-up project of the "Climate change and cardiovascular diseases:state and exploratory analyses of patient data in Limpopo province, South Africa".

Background: Climate change is responsible for severe weather and climatic conditions such as extreme heat and temperature changes. Exposure to heat is one of the factors that can exacerbate pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory diseases. In 2019, respiratory diseases were among the top 10 causes of death worldwide.  Among these diseases, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the third, lower respiratory infections the fourth and then trachea, bronchi, and lung cancers were the sixth leading cause of death. COPD alone was accountable for  3.23 million. As the effects of climate change continue to gain attention, there is the need for extensive communication of the knowledge of the effects of climate change on health for adequate adaptation that will lead to the reduction of its severe impacts on populations. The Limpopo province is most affected by climate change, where vulnerabilities are high, and there is a potential association between respiratory illnesses and climate change. This study explores respiratory illnesses and their association with temperature in the Limpopo province. Objective: This project sought to better understand the relationship between temperature and respiratory illnesses in the Mopani District of Limpopo province of South Africa, from risks to vulnerabilities. Specific objectives: (i) To determine the relationship between climate data in the region and the burden of respiratory illnesses/diseases based on a hospital admissions database from two hospitals. (ii) To examine the perception of school principals about climate change (iii) To identify the vulnerabilities to heat and respiratory diseases in school environments.

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