Topic:
Country: Cuba
Delegate Name: Harriet Ogilvie
Committee: World Health Organization
Topic: Climate Change and Public Health
Country: Cuba
Delegate: Harriet Ogilvie, FH Northern HS
The issue of climate change continues to expand at an alarming rate causing greater health risks for people around the world. Human activities have expedited climate change. Their activities include burning fossil fuels emitting greenhouse gases, as well as deforestation, and overconsumption. These activities lead to an increase in temperature, poor air quality, limited food and water, and changes in infectious agents. These outcomes threaten public health around the world. The outcomes can cause respiratory issues, heart diseases, Lyme disease, West Nile Virus, and food and water-related illnesses.
Cuba has been affected by the increase in climate change. Cuba is suffering from an increase in droughts, severe storms, and a rise in sea levels. For Cuba, these factors are impediments when it comes to farming. The climate change in Cuba has caused an increasingly long rainy season, limiting the amount of time to farm. This will result in less food circulating in Cuba causing limited food and possible starvation. Climate change has also increased Cuba’s vulnerability to diseases such as acute respiratory infections (ARIs), acute diarrheal diseases (ADDs), bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis, dengue fever, and bronchial asthma.
To help the climate crisis Cuba submitted its NDC. NDC informed Cuba about the plan “Tarea Vida” to confront climate change. They hope to ban home construction in flood zones, restore Cuba’s beaches to protect them from erosion, and introduce heat-tolerant crops to protect the food supplies from droughts. Regarding public health Since the 1960s, Cuba has had programs to prevent and control infectious diseases. For instance, the national vaccination program for preventable diseases such as polio, and a malaria eradication program. People from MINSAP and CITMA collaborate to discuss the national action program related to climate change and health, to improve prevention policies and prioritize areas of research in Cuba.
Cuba believes it is important to resolve these issues regarding climate change and public health. Even though the problem continues to worsen we must find steps to solve this issue. Although there is no easy solution it is essential to protect the environment and to protect people from health risks caused by the climate crisis.
