How Climate Change is Exacerbating Asthma for Children in Detroit

By Shawn Kaura

Climate change is exactly what it sounds like- an ever-changing phenomenon that is ruled both by the wrath of nature as well as of man. There has been no period in history where the climate has not affected the outcomes of many societies. Whether it be in classical Greece from the fifth to fourth century BCE, when rainfall patterns affected crop yields leading to wars and resource starvation, or if it’s the Sahel droughts from the 20th century, where African nations experienced droughts and famine. History has shown that with tumultuous weather patterns, social tensions have amplified. What is of utmost importance is our present society. We are seeing changes in weather patterns so climactic that excessive heat-induced fires in Canada are flooding neighboring countries and states with smog, exacerbating health and structural inequities. Henry Ford Health in Detroit commented on the smog output saying that they are predicting more asthma exacerbations due to these dramatic fires.

Throughout my whole life I have felt uniquely called towards understanding how climate affects our health. Whether it be through excessive heat, rainfall, or natural disasters, the weather that shields us can also be what haunts us, and that is the truth for far too many. So, as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, I made it a point to create a program that directly addresses the climate inequity many in Detroit are facing. Children in Detroit are facing unprecedented amounts of asthma exacerbations, and many families do not have the adequate tools to recognize or treat their children. My project works closely with this population to close this gap through education, surveillance, and advocacy. The ultimate goal of my project is to help families in Detroit understand what the long-term effects of untreated asthma are and give every child in the city a fair chance at a successful future.

On this World Humanitarian Day, I am reminded that as future physicians, our duty to society extends well beyond the hospital, the classroom, and largely into the air we all breathe. Climate change is not an abstract issue; it is a humanitarian crisis that disproportionately affects people of color and other marginalized societies. Addressing this concern calls for only those who are the most motivated to compassionately and urgently provide the care and hope we all need.

Shawn Kaura is a DO Candidate at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and a Schweitzer Fellow in Authority Health’s Detroit Chapter Albert Schweitzer Fellowship program.