Studies have shown that extreme temperatures have significant and varied effects on human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that nearly 92,000 deaths per year will be caused by heat waves in 2030. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death globally because of extreme temperatures. An increase of 1ËšC in temperature has been shown to increase the death rate in the range of 2-5%.

In Peninsular Malaysia, the results of a statistical modeling study have predicted extreme temperatures are expected to occur with a temperature range between 33ËšC - 42ËšC. Along with this forecast, the death rate of cardiac patients is expected to occur between 2 to 4 deaths per year. However, some urban areas such as in the states of Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor should be given extra attention since extreme temperature forecasts are expected to increase every year with the death rate reaching a maximum level of 14 deaths within a year.

Overall, the death rate of heart patients in all areas of Peninsular Malaysia is significant, due to climate change factors caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels including coal, oil and natural gas which can cause air and environmental pollution. In addition, the high rate of thermal heating, especially in industrial areas such as Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Johor, can also contribute to higher temperatures. This kind of activity needs to be controlled and curbed to prevent the death rate from reaching a more critical level.

The importance of people's awareness of this issue is particularly important because it helps improve the public's understanding of the effects of climate change on human health. It also increases their concern for health issues while being able to influence individual behavior to improve lifestyles to achieve a satisfactory level of health. Higher public awareness can also indirectly encourage the government to take more effective preventative measures against climate change. It will improve the country's ability to manage the risk and impact of heart disease on high-risk groups such as the elderly, workers in the industrial sector and urban communities.

Written by:

Dr. Syafrina Abdul Halim Department of Mathematics and Statistics Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia Kepakaran: Teori Nilai Ekstrim, Analisis Siri Masa Email: syafrina@upm.edu.my

Aina Izzati Mohd Esa Department of Mathematics and Statistics Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Date of Input: 27/09/2024 | Updated: 27/09/2024 | amir_hamzah