The National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention released the public's health literacy and interpretation of climate change
The reporter learned from the official website of the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention that the National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention recently released the public's health literacy and interpretation of climate change (hereinafter referred to as the interpretation), which is divided into 20 articles from three aspects: mastering basic knowledge and concepts, improving basic skills, and cultivating healthy lifestyles and behaviors.
Among them, in terms of mastering basic knowledge and concepts, the interpretation points out that climate change is a common challenge faced by all mankind, climate change directly causes the occurrence and development of diseases, climate change affects people's health through various ways, and the elderly, children, pregnant women, patients and outdoor workers are vulnerable groups to cope with climate change, and the health effects of climate change can be prevented and reduced through active mitigation and active adaptation.
In terms of improving basic skills, the interpretation points out that there are 7 points, including grasping the judgment basis of vulnerable groups, following low-carbon life norms and practicing health behavior guidelines, taking correct health protection measures according to weather forecasts and air quality information, accurately grasping the signs and meaning of meteorological disasters, timely grasping meteorological disaster early warning information and doing a good job in risk prevention, correctly identifying extreme weather events, and mastering first aid measures to deal with extreme weather events.
In terms of cultivating healthy lifestyles and behaviors, the interpretation points out that green consumption, low-carbon travel, garbage sorting and creating a healthy living environment, taking the initiative to learn Xi and disseminating health protection knowledge and skills, paying more attention to changes in underlying diseases and seeking medical treatment in time in extreme weather, minimizing or avoiding outdoor activities in heavily polluted weather, avoiding heat and preventing heat stroke in high temperature and heat wave weather, keeping warm and preventing frostbite in low temperature and cold wave weather, and preventing accidental injuries such as drowning in typhoon and heavy rain weather.
Public Health Literacy in Response to Climate Change and Interpretation
1. Master the basic knowledge and concepts
Article 1 Climate change is a common challenge facing all mankind.
Interpretation: Climate change mainly refers to significant or long-term changes in the climate system caused by the joint impact of human activities and natural factors, and is a serious threat and challenge faced by all countries, regions and all mankind in the 21st century. With the further intensification of climate change characterized by global warming, extreme temperatures, floods, typhoons, droughts, wildfires and other extreme weather events are becoming more and more intense, and human survival, life and health are being greatly challenged, and effective adaptation measures must be taken to reduce the adverse impact of climate change on human health.
Article 2 Climate change directly causes the occurrence and development of diseases.
Interpretation: Climate change and extreme weather events directly affect the functions of multiple systems such as human nerves, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and musculoskeletal. For example, in a high temperature environment, the human body loses a large amount of water and salt, increases blood viscosity, and reduces the blood perfusion of internal organs, which increases the cardiovascular burden, while in a low temperature environment, the tissue metabolism of the human body is strengthened, and the oxygen consumption increases, resulting in vasoconstriction, which is easy to cause the sudden onset, aggravation, and even death of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In addition, extreme weather such as floods and typhoons will greatly increase the risk and frequency of accidental injuries.
Article 3 Climate change affects human health through various means.
Interpretation: In addition to directly causing diseases, climate change can also affect people's health in many ways by changing natural and social factors. Extreme weather, such as floods, can increase the likelihood of outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid fever caused by water pollution. Rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns have caused changes in the number and distribution of vector organisms such as mosquitoes, snails, ticks, and fleas, increasing the risk and prevalence of insect-borne infectious diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, and schistosomiasis. In addition, climate change will also lead to changes in crop growth and maturity cycles, resulting in changes in food supply, which in turn will affect dietary structure and dietary Xi, and increase the risk of nutrition-related chronic diseases. In addition, extreme weather such as floods, typhoons, and wildfires can directly cause loss of life and property, increase psychological burden, and increase mental disorders.
Article 4 The elderly, children, pregnant women, the sick and outdoor workers are vulnerable to climate change.
Interpretation: Although climate change affects the entire population, the health effects on different populations are often inconsistent. The public's ability to adapt to climate change varies depending on physiological status, occupational exposure level, socioeconomic status, and access to health services. For example, the elderly have reduced physiological functions and often suffer from underlying diseases, children have not yet fully developed their body temperature regulation and immune systems, and their self-care ability is weak, and pregnant women and patients have special physical and psychological conditions, all of which make them vulnerable to climate change. In addition, outdoor workers are exposed to extreme weather such as high temperatures, heavy rains, and cold waves, increasing the risk of heat stroke, falls, frostbite or accidental injuries, and are also vulnerable groups that need more coping and protection measures.
Article 5 The health impacts of climate change can be prevented and reduced through active mitigation and active adaptation.
Interpretation: Climate change can have an impact on human health and its threat to health can be effectively reduced if appropriate measures are taken. China has long implemented a national strategy to actively respond to climate change, and has insisted on paying equal attention to mitigation strategies and adaptation strategies. On the one hand, by implementing aggressive mitigation strategies, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced, the rate of climate change will be slowed, and the occurrence of air pollution and extreme weather will be reduced, and the impact on health will be reduced at the source. On the other hand, actively promoting health adaptation strategies and actions, making full use of favorable factors and preventing unfavorable factors, continuously improving the level of awareness of health risks in response to climate change, and continuously improving health adaptation capacity can help us better prevent diseases and promote health in climate change response.
2. Improve basic skills
Article 6: Understand the basis for judging vulnerable populations.
Interpretation: Vulnerable populations are at higher health risk than other groups in response to climate change. Elderly people over 60 years old, children and adolescents under 18 years old, and pregnant women are more likely to be affected. For patients with chronic diseases that persist for more than 1 year, the risk of exacerbation and death is significantly increased when exposed to extreme weather and heavy pollution weather, such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases caused by high temperatures, and respiratory diseases aggravated by low temperatures. In addition, outdoor workers such as traffic police, sanitation workers, construction workers, couriers, and food delivery workers are more likely to be exposed to extreme weather, leading to increased health risks. Only by accurately judging whether you and your family belong to the vulnerable population can you take effective measures to protect your health in a timely manner.
Article 7 Follow the norms of low-carbon life and practice the code of healthy behavior.
Interpretation: Low-carbon life refers to minimizing the energy consumed in daily life, mainly adjusting behaviors from "energy saving, water saving, green travel, low-carbon diet, greening the environment" and other links, and developing good living Xi habits, so as to reduce greenhouse gas (especially carbon dioxide) emissions and slow down climate change. Everyone should cultivate a healthy lifestyle of adequate sleep, reasonable diet, moderate exercise, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, scientific medical treatment, and a good attitude, master the necessary health knowledge, improve health awareness and mental health, and prevent and reduce the health damage caused by climate change.
Article 8 Correct health protection measures shall be taken according to weather forecasts and air quality information.
Interpretation: Through weather forecasts and air quality information, you can know the weather conditions (such as cloudy, rainy and snowy, maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and strength, visibility, ultraviolet index, etc.), special disastrous weather (such as fog, haze, mudslides, etc.), the top pollutants and pollution levels in the next few days, For the public's daily life suggestions, timely increase or decrease clothing, reasonable travel plans, and at the same time pay attention to the physical condition of family members, and take targeted protective measures to protect the health of themselves and their families.
Article 9 Accurately grasp the identification of meteorological disasters and understand their meaning.
Interpretation: Extreme weather events may lead to meteorological disasters, and relevant departments have formulated meteorological disaster labels to release early warning information to the public. Meteorological hazard identification consists of a name, icon, criteria, and defense guidelines. At present, the Central Meteorological Observatory has authorized the issuance of 14 types of meteorological disaster warnings (early warning of disastrous weather that will occur in the future), including typhoons, heavy rains, blizzards, cold waves, gales, sandstorms, high temperatures, droughts, thunder and lightning, hail, frost, fog, haze, road ice, etc., and according to the possible harm and urgency caused by meteorological disasters, the meteorological disaster early warning is set to blue, yellow, orange, and red four levels, which represent general, serious, serious, and particularly serious respectively (Note: some warnings have only one of them, two or three grades).
Article 10 Grasp the early warning information of meteorological disasters in a timely manner and do a good job in risk prevention.
Interpretation: Meteorological disaster early warning information shall be released to the public in a timely manner by the meteorological stations affiliated to meteorological authorities at all levels by means of radio, television, and the Internet. In addition to the Chinese language, the language of ethnic minorities commonly used in the issuance of early warning information in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities is also used. Units and individuals must pay sufficient attention to the early warning information of meteorological disasters after they are informed of the early warning information, and when the yellow warning or above is reached, they must be highly vigilant and make all kinds of emergency plans for avoiding danger; when the orange and red warnings are reached, it is recommended to suspend classes (primary and secondary schools, kindergartens), stop outdoor activities (especially high-altitude and water operations), and quickly leave dangerous houses and dangerous places and move to a safe place for temporary shelter. If you fail to evacuate in time, try to send a distress signal (call 110, 119, 120, etc.) and wait patiently for rescue.
Article 11 Correctly identify extreme weather events.
Interpretation: It refers to the historically rare meteorological events that occur in a certain area within a certain period of time, and can be generally divided into extreme high temperature, extreme low temperature, extreme drought, extreme precipitation and sandstorms. In recent years, extreme weather events caused by climate change have become more frequent, more intense, and more extensive, which needs to be paid close attention to by the whole society and the whole population.
Article 12 Master first-aid measures to deal with extreme weather events.
Interpretation: In response to sudden and severe extreme weather events (i.e., meteorological disasters), the most timely, effective and most loss-reducing measures are to carry out rapid response rescue operations at the first time and at the first scene, including evacuation, self-rescue and mutual rescue. The first is to evacuate (i.e., get out of a dangerous situation), then to help yourself, and when you are safe, to help others out of danger. If you can't get out or save yourself, you should call 110, 119, 120 and other helplines as soon as possible, try to accurately report the situation, location and danger of yourself and other trapped people, keep the contact with the outside world as much as possible, and wait patiently for rescue.
3. Develop healthy lifestyles and behaviors
Article 13 Green consumption and low-carbon travel.
Interpretation: Form a moderate, green and low-carbon, civilized and healthy lifestyle and consumption pattern. Choose high-efficiency and energy-saving household appliances, turn off unused electrical appliances in time, reduce the use of disposable products, and bring your own shopping bags when purchasing, so as to achieve the purpose of saving energy and reducing environmental pollution. Choose low-polluting, low-energy transportation options, such as walking, cycling, taking buses or subways. Green consumption and low-carbon travel can reduce "carbon emissions" from the source, thereby reducing the health risks caused by global warming.
Article 14 Do a good job in garbage classification and create a healthy living environment.
Interpretation: For a long time, traditional domestic waste dumping, transportation, landfill and other treatment work has generated a lot of waste of resources and greenhouse gas emissions. The random discarding, simple stacking and disposal of garbage will destroy the good living environment, pollute the water source, soil, air and other environments, lead to a large number of mosquitoes and bacteria, and increase the probability of infectious diseases. The implementation of garbage classification and collection can not only improve the degree of resource utilization, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and curb global warming, but also reduce the pollution of garbage to the environment, improve the living environment, and reduce the impact of climate change on health.
Article 15: Take the initiative to Xi and disseminate health protection knowledge and skills.
Interpretation: No one is immune to the health impacts caused by climate change, so everyone should take the initiative to learn Xi and disseminate protection knowledge and skills. In the face Xi of extreme weather such as heat waves, cold waves, typhoons, etc., or severe air pollution events, it is necessary to remind and help vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, the sick and outdoor workers to do a good job of self-protection in a timely manner, and promote the formation Xi of a good social practice of caring for each other and helping each other in response to climate change.
Article 16: In extreme weather, more attention should be paid to changes in underlying diseases and timely medical treatment.
Interpretation: Extreme weather events will increase the burden of self-regulation of the human body, easy to induce diseases or aggravate the condition, so patients with chronic diseases with underlying diseases should pay more attention to the changes in their own symptoms, pregnant women should pay more attention to abnormal rhythms during pregnancy, and people with mental and behavioral disorders need to pay more attention and increase the frequency of observation.
Article 17: Outdoor activities should be minimized or avoided in heavily polluted weather.
Interpretation: Air pollution comes from a wide range of sources, including haze, dust, photochemical smog, and smoke from fires. When air pollution is more serious, outdoor activities should be minimized or avoided, when it is really necessary to go out, masks should be worn, preferably N95 masks with breathing valves, outdoor workers should wear protective masks with anti-haze functions, and should change clothes, wash their faces and nasal cavities in time after returning home, and primary and secondary schools and kindergartens should stop outdoor physical education classes, recess exercises, sports meetings and other activities.
Article 18 In the event of high temperature and heat waves, it is necessary to avoid heat stroke and prevent heat stroke as much as possible.
Interpretation: High temperature can lead to dysfunction of the body's thermoregulatory center, triggering a rapid increase in body temperature. Heat stroke is easy to occur during heat waves, and heat stroke can lead to heat stroke in severe cases. Patients with heat stroke may experience symptoms such as high fever, no sweating, dry mouth, coma, increased blood pressure, respiratory failure, and even death. In the heat wave, vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, pregnant women and the sick should avoid going out as much as possible, turn on the air conditioner indoors, and pay attention to timely hydration; outdoor workers should reasonably arrange their working hours, appropriately increase rest time, reduce labor intensity, reduce outdoor operations according to relevant regulations, and drink a small amount of water many times, and be equipped with heatstroke prevention and cooling drinks and necessary medicines; special workers should wear comfortable and breathable safety helmets during the construction process, keep their clothes loose, and reduce the risk of heat stroke.
Article 19 In low temperature and cold wave weather, attention should be paid to keeping warm and preventing frostbite.
Interpretation: Cold weather can increase the risk of many diseases and aggravate their condition. Low temperatures can easily frostbite the hands, feet and other exposed parts, causing muscle contractions and joint stiffness, and decreased operational flexibility and mobility. In the cold wave weather, vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, pregnant women and the sick should try to avoid going out, and when they really need to go out, they should add clothes in time to keep warm; outdoor workers should reasonably adjust their working hours to avoid being in a cold environment for a long time, and at the same time should be familiar with the heating and rest places, and prepare professional warm protective equipment in advance.
Article 20 Accidental injuries such as drowning should be prevented in typhoons and rainstorms.
Interpretation: Pay attention to typhoon and rainstorm warning information in time, and understand the wind strength, movement direction, landfall location and time, and rainfall intensity of the typhoon. 3~4 hours before the typhoon landfalls, close the doors and windows in advance, and try to avoid or reduce going out. When you do need to go out, stay away from low-lying areas, seaside, flood-prone areas, and areas where there may be fallen objects from high altitudes such as trees and billboards. When heavy rainfall has occurred or continuous rainfall, it is necessary to do a good job in flood prevention tasks, keep communication unimpeded, pay attention to and receive evacuation notices, prepare life-saving products in advance, prepare sufficient food, clothing, drinking water, daily necessities and necessary medical supplies, pay attention to the changes in the terrain and water level around the house, be ready for safe transfer at any time, and immediately call 110, 119, 120 and other telephones for help if necessary.
