Climate Change and Public Health: An Interdisciplinary Review of Emerging Challenges

Abstract

Climate change has become one of the most serious public health threats to the global population, affecting health through increased temperatures, severe weather, air pollution, food scarcity, and changing infection patterns. In this context, this paper analyzes the available literature in terms of human cohort, epidemiological, cross-sectional studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, describing mechanisms of the impact of climate change on communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental disorders, malnutrition, and vulnerable population groups. This paper reviews interdisciplinary approaches such as environmental monitoring, climate-resilient health care systems, public health policies, digital health solutions, artificial intelligence, and community adaptation to address climate-induced health threats. The existing evidence shows that climate change impacts children, elderly people, pregnant women, and poor socio-economic communities, causing higher health burden, health disparities, and pressure on health care systems. Despite available data that provide convincing evidence of the relationship between climate change and public health, some research gaps remain in human cohort studies and in the methods employed in the investigation process.