In 2024, Yang Xuehong hired an air conditioner technician in Zhuhai, a bustling city near Hong Kong. Together, they set out to talk to locals about climate risks while the technician worked. Many residents shared how stormy weather worsened their arthritis. This personal experience highlighted a common, yet often overlooked, symptom of climate change.
Yang, founder of the Zhuhai Root, Stem and Leaf Environmental Protection Promotion Centre, started her non-profit to promote low-carbon living. But soon, she shifted focus to how climate change impacts local communities, learning that arthritis was more than just a mobility issue. It touched quality of life, too. When she investigated local health records, she found a sharp rise in arthritis hospital visits since 2020. Yang’s team began to label arthritis as a “climate-sensitive condition.”
Many people don’t connect their pain to larger climate issues. They may notice bad weather triggers discomfort but rarely ask why the climate is changing or how it affects them. Yang believes it’s crucial for communities to engage with these bigger questions.
Understanding the Connection
Recent research underscores the link between climate and non-infectious diseases like arthritis. A study found a 14% global rise in arthritis from 1990 to 2020, attributing this increase to factors including climate change. Other studies have also linked climate change to allergies and asthma, implicating it in a rise of chronic conditions.
Professor Ioana Agache from Transylvania University notes that arthritis and similar inflammatory disorders are escalating. She points to shared factors like microinflammation and immune system issues that connect our health to the environment.
Agache raises concerns about a “second wave” of chronic inflammatory disorders beginning in the 2000s, driven by climate-related challenges such as extreme weather and pollution. The first wave emerged in the 1970s, connected to pollution and lifestyle changes.
What’s Missing in Climate Action
At the recent COP30 climate conference, health representatives stressed the need for lower emissions and better funding for climate adaptation, especially in the Global South. Yet, health issues were not a formal part of the discussions. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) does require countries to consider health impacts in their national adaptation plans, but few have made significant strides.
As of May 2025, only 27 countries developed health adaptation plans. This lack of focus on non-communicable diseases poses a significant gap in climate strategy. Agache emphasizes the need for dedicated attention to these health impacts.
Learning from China’s Experience
In China, funding gaps hinder effective health adaptation planning. A recent Lancet Countdown Report reported that a lack of coordination and resources affected many provinces. Experts like Lu Hui suggest improving foundational strategies, such as public health education, to better prepare vulnerable populations for climate impacts.
For example, informing the elderly about the risks of heat without air conditioning can be vital. China’s National Climate Health Adaptation Plan also emphasizes proactive adaptation as a priority for the upcoming years.
Local groups, such as Yang’s, are crucial in addressing these issues. Yang’s approach combines scientific frameworks with her community’s lived experiences, showing a promising way to connect climate change awareness with local health.
Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it’s a health crisis waiting to be acknowledged. Understanding the interplay between climate and health can lead to better community strategies and, ultimately, a healthier future.
For further reading, check out the WHO analysis on health adaptation planning, and the Lancet Countdown report for insights on health issues linked to climate change.
