Changing lifestyle adversely affecting health of Bangaloreans

Changing lifestyle adversely affecting health of Bangaloreans

K.V. Subramanya

Construction industry, vehicles major contributors

‘Protecting health from climate change’ is the theme for World Health Day 2008

Cases of children developing lower respiratory tract infections increasing

BANGALORE: The theme of World Health Day, 2008 — Protecting health from climate change — has special significance to Bangalore as rapid urbanisation, changing lifestyles and the resultant ecological changes are adversely affecting the health of Bangaloreans.

After recognising that climate change is posing increasing threats to global public health security, the World Health Organisation has selected this theme for World Heath Day that is being observed on April 7.
Economic development

The unprecedented economic development Bangalore has witnessed in the past decade has not only changed the city’s ecological balance but also the “social climate,” triggering various health problems.

The thriving construction industry and constantly increasing number of vehicles have been the major contributors to the environmental degradation.

With the coming up of huge apartment complexes in the city, the lung space has decreased, thereby drastically affecting the carbondioxide-oxygen ratio in the atmosphere.

While the carbondioxide load has been chronically increasing, the oxygen availability has come down, said S. Kumar, Principal of M.S. Ramaiah Medical College. A few years ago, the residents of the Garden City suffered mainly from pollen allergies and respiratory allergies.

With the changed climatic conditions, of late several people are developing chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (CPOD) and other life threatening lung diseases, Dr. Kumar told The Hindu.
Respiratory problems

Echoing his views, T.S. Ranganath, Professor of Community Medicine at Bangalore Medical College, said that in the past three years, there has been an increase in the cases of children in Bangalore developing lower respiratory tract infections. He attributes the rise in various respiratory problems, including asthma, to the ever increasing air pollution caused by motor vehicles.

According Dr. Ranganath, children suffering from lower respiratory tract infections cannot consume food and it would result in malnutrition and even diarrhoea.

Dr. Kumar said that the eating habits of people are also affecting climatic changes. Studies have confirmed that people on non-vegetarian diet contribute to carbondioxide load in the atmosphere, he said.
Hectic life

Because of the Bangalore’s hectic social and professional life — the changing social climate — many women have not been able to breast-feed their newborn babies. Natural immunity is lost when the babies are not breast fed. “Therefore, around 20 vaccines are to be shot into the newborns,” he observed.
Diseases

Dr. Ranganath said climatic changes such as untimely rains would trigger various vector-borne diseases. In the next few weeks there would be a spurt in dengue and malaria cases in Bangalore because of the untimely rains. Children and elderly people are more prone to vector-borne diseases, he said.