SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS AND MEDICAL CHALLENGES IN ARCTIC AND SUB-ARCTIC REGIONS

J. Reis, N. V. Zaitseva, P. Spencer

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

This systematic review surveys the results of studies that address the manifold influences of climate change on the health of populations in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. The review includes papers available in PubMed (maintained by The United States National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health), Scopus (the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature), WoS (the abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature) and BVS (Virtual Health Library) that were published between 1960 to 2021. The review covers pressing environmental, sanitary-hygienic and social issues and identifies priority risk factors for human health and that of wildlife. Global pollution and communicable diseases are shown to pose threats for indigenous people living in the Arctic. These threats are likely to be greater than those faced by populations living elsewhere in the world. We conclude that because climate is changing faster in the Arctic than anywhere else on the planet, there is an urgent need to address the issue. Global pollution and communicable diseases pose threats to public health, including the health of indigenous people living in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. It is necessary to intensify cooperation among different states to reduce external influences on the Arctic environment and to prioritize public health.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)21-38
Number of pages18
JournalHealth Risk Analysis
Volume2022
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Arctic and sub-arctic regions
  • Ecological situation
  • Global climate change
  • Health losses
  • Local and imported threats
  • Public health
  • Risk factors
  • Sanitary-epidemiological situation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health Policy
  • Health Informatics
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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