Shania Shayal Prasad 
Ogea Village [File Photo]
Health Ministry’s Acting Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Luisa Cikamatana, stated there is a link between climate change and human health.
Speaking at the Environmental Health Symposium in Suva yesterday, she said climate change has impacted air, water and food quality negatively, contributing to rising respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, injuries, and premature deaths.
Dr. Cikamatana also highlighted that extreme weather conditions had altered the spread of food and waterborne illnesses, vector-borne diseases, and other infectious diseases, while also posing rising threats to mental health.
Health Ministry’s Acting Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Luisa Cikamatana
She urged health inspectors to address climate change and disaster risks by integrating these issues into development planning.
The theme of the symposium was “Building Resilient and Sustainable Communities Through an Environmental Health Lens.”
