Chronicle EditorPatrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
Mrs Marian Chakaipa’s eight-year-old son recently returned home from school scratching his body recurrently.
She said Emmanuel, who is doing Grade Three at a local school, had a rash because of the heat and humid conditions being experienced in Gweru and across the country.
“It was on Friday when Emmanuel returned from school scratching his body. I took him to the doctor who said it was a heat rash. I gave him the prescribed medicines and after three days, the heat rash was gone,” said Mrs Chakaipa.
Some schools such as St Paul’s in Mkoba 2 suburb are asking pupils to carry their own water so that they have access to the precious liquid anytime they’re thirsty to avoid dehydration.
Midlands Provincial Medical Director Dr Mary Muchekeza said the best way to prevent heat rash is to help children stay cool, both indoors and outside.
She said common effects of heat waves on humans are dehydration which can lead to unconsciousness or death, chickenpox, heat rash and psychological stress.
“People are advised to drink more water to stay hydrated, keep a water bottle with them to remind them to take water, monitor blood pressure to make sure it’s within the normal range and stay indoors as much as possible,” said Dr Muchekeza.
Since the beginning of October, different parts of the country have been experiencing high temperatures of between 35 and 45 degrees Celsius according to the Meteorological Services Department (MSD).
This summer has a lot of heat and humidity — two weather conditions that make heat rash more likely in babies, toddlers and even older children.
Heat rash is exactly what it sounds like — a rash caused by heat which is called prickly heat and miliaria.
The rash occurs when pores or sweat ducts become blocked. This can happen when a child is dressed too warmly, exercises too intensely or simply sweats too much due to very hot weather.
Pores in folds of the skin are more likely to get blocked due to heat and rubbing. That’s why babies and toddlers with extra skin rolls are more prone to develop heat rash than older children.
Heat rash looks like tiny bumps or blisters that can appear red or inflamed. It’s more common in skin folds around the neck, armpits or diaper area, and can also appear on the chest and back.
The heat being experienced during the day and at night has been unbearable.
According to experts, this is due to heat waves resulting from the emission of greenhouse gases, meaning people should prepare for warmer days and nights.
There is a need for the adoption of smart adaptation strategies and participation in climate change resilient practices to cope with the damage caused.
Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) lecturer who is also a researcher and publisher in climate change issues, Mr Peter Makwanya said heat waves have become a common feature especially during the dry season.
He said they should not be approached in isolation from the rapid acceleration of climate-induced extreme weather conditions attributed to continued investment in fossil fuels burning, unsustainable mining and agricultural practices which are emission intensive.
“We can’t leave out the cancer of deforestation which has consumed vast tracts of forest cover on the continent leading to severe losses and damage of the ecosystems including human casualties. However, the main solutions to survive in the context of extreme and suffocating weather conditions is to adopt sustainable living strategies and adapt,” he said.
Mr Makwanya said while air conditioning is welcome especially indoors and at workplaces for cooling during the hot days, some emit greenhouse gases that we are desperately trying to manage.
“Of course not all air-conditions emit greenhouse gases but it now depends whether or not they have been locally manufactured or manufactured with local conditions in mind and also how often they’re serviced or getting obsolete ones replaced because if they’re not replaced, there will come a time when they emit e-waste gases as they struggle to cope,” he said.
Mr Makwanya said the sustainable living conditions include a wide range of interventions such as adopting energy efficient gadgets like energy saver bulbs which do not produce more heat while saving electricity at the same time.
He said the use of vehicles also increases a person’s carbon footprint adding that cycling is more sustainable than driving if distances are short.
“Climate friendly eating is also recommended; eating or buying organic foodstuffs which are free from toxins is another sustainable way.
Organic products are low in carbon, fruits are recommended as they’re easily digested and absorbed. Planting trees not only increases shade and cooling effects but trees are important for oxygen production for the quality of the air we breathe.
Above all there’s no water without trees,” he said.
Mr Makwanya said the major causes of climate change are human activities such as subsistence agriculture, deforestation, extreme poverty and energy deficit among others.
These, he said, lead to reduced sequestration capacity of atmospheric carbon, loss and damage of biodiversity, flora and fauna.
“They can’t be avoided but awareness raising is important for adaptation purposes.”
Mr Makwanya said industrialisation is another factor in ecosystem destruction.
However, he said as industrialisation takes place, there is a need to avoid contamination and pollution of water bodies.
“We shouldn’t contribute to human-wildlife conflicts. We should also relocate affected communities by compensating for the losses of their infrastructure, otherwise adaptation is key and for the climate solutions that we want, we need to adapt and stay safe,” said Mr Makwanya.
According to Unicef Zimbabwe, the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution is being experienced worldwide with huge consequences for the health and well-being of all people.
“The country is increasingly experiencing more severe climatic events such as droughts on one hand and cyclones and flooding on the other. When rainfall varies, there are far-reaching consequences on food, nutrition, and water security; all of which determine the health and well-being of the nation, and its children.”
Between 2030 and 2050, Unicef said climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.
“Most of these disproportionately affect children already. Climate change is a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow, thrive, and reach its full potential. Children are the most vulnerable to diseases that have become more widespread because of climate change.
As extreme weather events such as cyclones and heat waves increase in frequency and ferocity, we see the impact on access to water.”
Online Reporter