Climate change impacts on the health of South Asian children and women subpopulations - A scoping review

Ishwar Tiwari; McKenzie Tilstra; Sandra M Campbell; Charlene C Nielsen; Stephen Hodgins; Alvaro R Osornio Vargas; Kyle Whitfield; Bhim Prasad Sapkota; Shelby S Yamamoto

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10811

Climate change impacts on the health of South Asian children and women subpopulations - A scoping review

Heliyon. 2022 Sep 28;8(10):e10811. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10811. eCollection 2022 Oct.

Authors

Ishwar Tiwari¹, McKenzie Tilstra¹, Sandra M Campbell², Charlene C Nielsen¹, Stephen Hodgins¹, Alvaro R Osornio Vargas³, Kyle Whitfield⁴, Bhim Prasad Sapkota^{5

6}, Shelby S Yamamoto¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada.
² John W. Scott Health Science Library, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB, T6G 2R7, Canada.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1C9, Canada.
⁴ School of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, 116 & 85 Ave, Edmonton, AB.
⁵ Center for International Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
⁶ Ministry of Health and Population, Government of Nepal, Ram Shah Path, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Climate change impacts are felt unequally worldwide; populations that experience geographical vulnerability, those living in small island states and densely populated coastal areas, and children and women are affected disproportionately. This scoping review aims to synthesize evidence from relevant studies centred on South Asia, identify research gaps specifically focused on children and women's health, and contribute to knowledge about South Asia's existing mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Methods: A research librarian executed the search on six databases using controlled vocabulary (e.g., MeSH, Emtree, etc.) and keywords representing the concepts "vulnerable populations" and "climate change" and "health impacts" and "South Asia." Databases were searched from January 2010 to May 2020. Papers were screened independently by two researchers.

Results: Forty-two studies were included, of which 23 were based in India, 14 in Bangladesh, and five in other South Asian countries. Nineteen studies focused on meteorological factors as the primary exposure. In contrast, thirteen focused on extreme weather events, nine on air pollution, and one on salinity in coastal areas. Thirty-four studies focused on the health impacts on children related to extreme weather events, meteorological factors, and air pollution, while only eight studies looked at health impacts on women. Undernutrition, ARI (acute respiratory infection), diarrheal diseases, low birth weight, and premature mortality were the major health impacts attributed to extreme weather events, meteorological factors, and air pollution exposure in children and women in the region.

Conclusion: Extreme weather events, meteorological factors and air pollution have affected the health of children and women in South Asia. However, the gap in the literature across the South Asian countries concerning relationships between exposure to extreme weather events, meteorological factors, air pollution and health effects, including mental health problems in children and women, are opportunities for future work.

Keywords: Air pollution; Children; Climate change; Health impacts; South asia; Women.

Publication types

Review