Implications of Climate Change Induced Temperature Rise on Food and Waterborne Diseases and Heat-Related Mortality

Background Climate change affects human health in multiple ways, including exposure to thermal extremes and weather disasters, spread of vector- and rodent-borne diseases, emergence of new infectious diseases, pests and pathogens, food and water insecurity and deterioration of water quality. Aims This study attempts to quantify climate-induced increases in morbidity rates associated with food- and water-borne illnesses, as well as increase in premature mortality associated with temperature rise in the context of an urban coastal city, taking the Greater Beirut Area as a study area. Methods Climate projections, as forecasted by regional and global climate models, were used to predict the increase in daily temperature during the 21st century. A Poisson generalized linear model was then developed to quantify the relationship between climatic parameters and the number of reported food- and water-borne disease cases. As for the impact of heat on premature mortality, it was assessed using an empirical temperatu...