Although Cuba has unique environmental challenges, an emphasis on research, prevention, and history of working across sectors are helping the country face the challenges of climate change head on.
Oakland, CA (PRWEB) May 15, 2015
MEDICC Review today announced the publication of its new issue Environment, Climate Change & Health: exploring climate-related health risks in Cuba and strategies to lessen its impacts.
Cuba faces the challenges of climate change as an island ecosystem in the developing world. Since the 1990s, the country has prioritized research to develop an evidence base and set policy priorities to slow climate change, predict extreme weather events, and to mitigate health impacts. Evidence suggests potential health threats include increases in water- and food-borne diseases, acute respiratory diseases and vector-borne diseases.
“Although Cuba has unique environmental challenges, an emphasis on research, prevention, and history of working across sectors are helping the country face the challenges of climate change head on,” said Dr. Christina Mills, MEDICC Review Managing Editor.
Insights on Cuba’s approach are offered by the Interview with the lead on public health disaster response and a senior climate researcher, and by a Special Article co-authored by the director of Cuba’s Environmental Agency and the president of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.
Climate challenges facing Cuba also affect one of its closest neighbors, the USA. The new diplomatic opening could encourage cooperation in areas such as water pollution. A Viewpoint from the director of the Environmental Defense Fund’s Cuba Program explores how the two nations can respond to common environmental threats.
The April issue “Environment, Climate Change & Health” also includes the following articles:
- Approaches to Climate Change & Health in Cuba
- Influence of Climate Variability on Acute Myocardial Infarction Mortality in Havana, 2001–2012
- Spatial Models for Prediction and Early Warning of Aedes aegypti Proliferation from Data on Climate Change and Variability in Cuba
- Climate Change Highlights a Potentially Dangerous Trade-off
MEDICC Review is the first peer-reviewed journal in English dedicated to publishing original manuscripts by Cuban health and related professionals on topics of medical research, population health, and policies and practice of health in Cuba. The journal also publishes international authors on subjects related to health equity. Published by Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba (MEDICC), Oakland, California, USA, MEDICC Review articles are available open access, free online and available through PubMed and other indexing services http://www.medicc.org/mediccreview