Effects of overpopulation on health care

The worldwide population is rising exponentially at an alarming rate. A nation's overpopulation can have a number of repercussions. There is a visible strain on resources such as energy, food, and water supply there are additional burdens like the rise of pollution, environmental damage, strain on public services and infrastructure, rising unemployment rates, and decreasing living standards due to overpopulation. Furthermore, the staggering rate of population growth is putting a strain on countries’ health systems, with disastrous consequences. Without health care, our children will not reach their full potential. And without a healthy, productive population, our societies will not be able to realize their aspirations. Let’s do a deep dive into the lack of healthcare due to population burden.

 Effects of overpopulation on health care

The worldwide population is rising exponentially at an alarming rate. A nation's overpopulation can have a number of repercussions. There is a visible strain on resources such as energy, food, and water supply there are additional burdens like the rise of pollution, environmental damage, strain on public services and infrastructure, rising unemployment rates, and decreasing living standards due to overpopulation. Furthermore, the staggering rate of population growth is putting a strain on countries’ health systems, with disastrous consequences.

Without health care, our children will not reach their full potential. And without a healthy, productive population, our societies will not be able to realize their aspirations. Let’s do a deep dive into the lack of healthcare due to population burden.

Effects of Overpopulation on Human Health

The World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate that care. The current healthcare system is overworked and unable to handle the increasing number of individuals in need of treatment. In certain places, this may result in a lack of access to necessary medical care. Let’s discuss the effects of overpopulation on human health in detail:

1. A higher chance of infection

 

Overpopulation and infections are closely associated. Population density raises the risk to human health because airborne illnesses can spread more quickly. Concerns like urban overpopulation and environmental changes brought on by population increase have given rise to a number of infectious diseases. It turns out that increased antibiotic resistance is an unforeseen problem for illnesses such as malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, dengue, etc.

 

2. Increase in water-borne diseases

 

Overpopulation is the cause of contaminated water supplies. Each year, diseases brought on by tainted water claim lives. The viruses spread more speedily in crowded environments, which makes it possible for harmful mutations to flourish and infect the water supply.

 

3. Elevated Chance of Skin Cancer

Another factor contributing to the ozone layer's weakening is population expansion. Increased exposure to the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause early ageing of the skin and skin disorders like skin cancer. UV rays’ exposure can reason cataracts and blindness, among other things. Most importantly, it damages the human immune system.

 

4. Increased respiratory diseases due to high air pollution

Overpopulation causes excessive air pollution, which again, is a risk factor of numerous respiratory diseases, like:

·         Chronic bronchitis

·         copd)">Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

·         Cystic fibrosis

·         Asthma

·         Emphysema

·         Pneumonia

·         Lung cancer

More individuals are using road transportations, causing heavy traffic on the roads that are emitting toxic air contents. Children and the elderly are most susceptible to bear the brunt of the low air quality.

 

Measures To Prevent Effects of Overpopulation on Human Health

Overpopulation must be addressed with a comprehensive and multidimensional strategy that respects each person's rights and choices while also taking into consideration social, economic, and environmental considerations. These measures include:

 

1. Family planning and reproductive health services: Encouraging people and families to have access to contraception and reproductive health services that can assist them in making well-informed decisions about the size of their family.

2. Education and empowerment: Putting money into education can improve health outcomes, increase economic opportunities, and reduce the number of births, particularly for women and girls.

Various health organisations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should endeavour to increase public awareness about the issues associated with overpopulation, as well as the significance of family planning and birth control methods, through various campaigns. The World Population Day, which is observed annually on July 11, attempts to achieve these goals.

3. Economic incentives: To promote lower, planned family sizes, governments can institute tax cuts, subsidies, or awards for smaller families.

4. Urban development and planning: By providing affordable housing, infrastructure, and sustainable resource usage, effective urban planning may assist support the expanding population.

5. Migration and regional development: Promoting regional development can help disperse the population more fairly throughout a nation and lessen the concentration of people in large cities.

6. Sustainable resource management: By creating sustainable methods for managing resources like water, electricity, and agriculture; we can lessen the burden on our finite resources.

Thus, we have learned so far that the growing population is a major global concern and the cause of many health problems. Recognising the issue and taking the required action to solve it are essential. The best way to address the issue of overpopulation is to implement birth control laws and guidelines by governments, make birth control devices commonly accessible, and raise public awareness of family planning and the risks of overpopulation. Consult healthcare provider regarding knowledge of communicable and infectious diseases spreading in geographic area.

 

You can consult our healthcare team at Ask a Doctor, 24x7 and discuss issues related to the community spread of infectious disease and its effect on your family.