Topic:
Country: Mexico
Delegate Name: Sreejay Ramakrishnan
World Health Organization
Climate Change and Infectious Disease
United Mexican States
Sreejay Ramakrishnan
Forest Hills Eastern
Over time, the Earth has been brought with an evident average increase in temperatures, causing climate change. Effects of climate change include intense drought, storms, heatwaves, rising sea levels, destruction of animal habitats and environments, and much more. As climate change increases, these effects become more and more severe. This catastrophe affects not only Mexico but rather every single country in the UN and the world as a whole. As of 2008, the World Health Organization the net global effect of projected climate change on human health is expected to be negative, putting particular focus on the damage climate change has caused and potentially will cause on global health infrastructure as well as the ability of health systems to deal with arising challenges in resolution WHA61.19. Additionally, infectious diseases are plaguing our world, infectious disease defines as any communicable or transmissible disease. Infectious diseases kill around 17 people around the world yearly. Climate change is defined as increasing temperatures, increasing humidity. All of which is the prime climate for disease-spreading bugs and bacteria such as mosquitoes. Climate change can also produce new diseases, or defrost old diseases that are frozen in glaciers or ice. Climate Change and Infectious disease go hand in hand, which is why it is paramount that the UN addresses this topic. The UN has adopted a 10 Year Climate Action Plan which aims to reduce carbon emissions, electricity consumption, commercial air travel emissions, and promote renewable energy, sustainability standards for events, operational efficiencies, and sustainable developments. The UN must further find ways to decrease the threat of climate change as well as the spreading of infectious diseases.
Climate Change and infectious disease are prominent issues in Mexico because, in order to control both problems, the world community must act as a collective. The Government of Mexico has been avid in the support and investment in renewable energy, therefore, reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases. Mexico has several goals in order to counteract Climate Change. Mexico aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22% and black carbon emissions by 51% by 2030; Reach a net-zero deforestation rate by 2030; Prevent and manage the negative impacts of climate change, especially among communities facing the most significant social inequalities; Promote sustainable and resilient food production systems; Conserve and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services; Protect strategic infrastructure from the effects of climate change. With US AID, the Government of Mexico has made task forces to combat this issue. The Sustainable Landscapes Ventures (Conservation International Foundation) supplies $10m from 2020-2025 which will mobilize investment capital to enable smallholder farmers to implement solutions that reduce deforestation, forest degradation and grow local economies. Mexico has supported UN resolutions involving the reduction of climate change. In order to ensure a weaker impact from infectious diseases, Mexico has been working with the United States in The Division of Global Migration and Quarantine US/Mexico Unit (USMU) which works to control infectious disease outbreaks, diseases associated with product importation and distribution, and ensures the identification and referral of people with suspected and confirmed infectious conditions traveling between countries. 3 main aspects of the USMU are disease surveillance, CureTB, and Latino Migrant Health. For disease surveillance, the USMU coordinates the Binational Border Infectious Disease Surveillance (BIDS) program to improve disease prevention in the border region. The BIDS network has helped identify H1N1 influenza, dengue, rickettsia, measles, hepatitis A, rubella, and foodborne outbreaks. The CureTB program works with health authorities across borders to assist in linking patients with tuberculosis to care as they move between countries. For Latin Migrant Health the USMU works to enhance scientific evidence and awareness on health disparities affecting Latino migrants in the United States and effective interventions to address them, and specializes in outreach and health education approaches for Spanish-speaking and mobile populations.
Mexico proposes that the UN consider resolutions that: reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy, help manage and decrease the spread of infectious diseases, and allow for equal health treatment of all people if plagued with an infectious disease.
