Introduction:
Climate change has many effects on various aspects of human life, including health.
Iran is highly vulnerable to climate changes, which can have a significant impact on public health. Therefore, this study aims to review the effects of climate change on public health in Iran.
Methods: This systematic study was conducted based on the PRISMA protocol and three steps of search, screening, and synthesis of selected studies. To identify related studies published from ۲۰۰۰ to ۲۰۲۳, online databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, MagIran, and SID) were searched using relevant keywords. Finally, we selected ۵۲ eligible studies. The selected studies were screened to extract key information.
Results: The direct effects of climate change included the increase in infectious, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases, changes in women's pregnancy patterns, and the prevalence of preeclampsia, skin cancer, pterygium, congenital hypothyroidism, and mortality. Indirect effects of climate change included the changes in reproductive patterns and the spread of insect-borne and human diseases such as malaria, brucellosis, leishmaniasis, human salmonellosis, cholera, bloody diarrhea, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and COVID-۱۹. Moreover, climate change had negative impact on the mental health such as increased mood swings, depression, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders, and bipolar disorder. The results showed that vulnerability to climate change varies depending on geographical and demographic factors.
Conclusion:
Climate change has many adverse effects on the physical and mental health of Iranian people; therefore, the development and implementation of national strategies and programs to fight against them are essential. Despite studies conducted so far on the relationship between climate change and human health in Iran, there is still a need for further investigations, especially regarding the connection between climate change and people's mental health.