Abstract

Background: The aged cohort is more susceptible to ill-health owing to their physiological and immunological compositions. Their lifestyles, nutritional status and conditions to which they are exposed in their social and physical environments matter for their health. Conditions in the physical environment, particularly those related to climatic elements,have the propensity to aggravate health challenges among this cohort through their exposure to weather extremities and fluctuations in temperature and rainfall. Objective: Against this background, this paper examines the effects of climate change on the trend and prevalence of climate-related diseases among the aged in an urban setting using Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria as a case study. Two sets of secondary data; hospital records of 600 adults aged 50 and above with clinically-diagnosed cases of climate related diseases, and data on climatic parameters of temperature and rainfall, were employed for the study. The data sets were collected for the period 2001 to 2015. Results: Temperature declined over the period of study while rainfall increased. The study also showed that incidence of high blood pressure was more prevalent (43%) than any other climate-related diseases among the sampled population. This was followed by fever and respiratory diseases. Incidences of cholera and diarrhea as well as blindness, and skin diseases were relatively fewer. The cases of high blood pressure, fever and respiratory diseases were positively correlated with year as they showed a progressive annual increase in relation to the fluctuations in rainfall and temperature, particularly increased rainfall. The result of the regression analysis (R2 = 0.115) also shows that the fluctuations in rainfall and temperature accounted for 11.5% of the variations in climate-related diseases among the aged in the period studied. Conclusion: With the observed effects of climate change on the blood pressure of the aged as well as on the prevalence of fever and respiratory diseases among them, this study is suggesting that emphasis should be placed on social inclusiveness and financial independence for the elderly in order for them to adequately adapt to the vagaries of climate change.

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