RMU publishes Journal of Health & Climate Change

Rawalpindi : This is the duty of the universities to create and disseminate the knowledge about climate affecting human health and produce evidence based guidelines and standard operating procedures for both the concerned government authorities and the community to deal with these challenges in Pakistan and Rawalpindi Medical University had taken lead on the subject and published three issues of the Journal of Health and Climate Change (JHCC).

Vice Chancellor at RMU Professor Muhammad Umar (S.I) (T.I) who is patron in chief of JHCC expressed this while talking to ‘The News’ adding the RMU has achieved another milestone and became the first medical university of Pakistan to publish Journal of Health & Climate Change. “We all know climate change affecting health is a new global challenge that has an impact on the health of millions of people. Smog is a recent example of this,” he said.

He added the UN has put climate change and its impact as Sustainable Development Goal 13 with the mission statement, ‘Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts’, and keeping this in mind, the RMU is planning to make the subject a part of its undergraduate curriculum. “We are working on addressing health issues relating to climate change like smog, fog, floods affecting community health, energy conservation and rain water harvesting.”

He added the RMU has played a pivotal role in the fight against climate change, leveraging unique position to address both the health impacts of environmental changes and the broader ecological challenges. As centres of research, education, and community engagement, the institution is working in shaping effective responses to one of the most pressing global issues of our time.

According to the JHCC, the RMU has contributed significantly to understanding the health impacts of climate change. Rising global temperatures and increasing frequency of extreme weather events have profound effects on human health. Research conducted at these institutions explores the links between climate change and various health issues, such as respiratory conditions from increased air pollution, heat-related illnesses, and the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever. Through epidemiological studies, RMU has identified trends and predicted future health risks, providing critical data for policymakers and public health officials.

Additionally, research has extended to understanding how climate change exacerbates mental health conditions, as communities face stressors like displacement due to natural disasters and long-term environmental degradation. By investigating these complex interactions, the university contributed to a comprehensive understanding of climate change’s impact on health, facilitating the development of targeted interventions. Professor Umar said that integrating climate science and its health impacts into medical and public health curricula has helped RMU prepare future healthcare professionals to address the challenges posed by climate change.