The Chief State Health Inspector, Associate Professor Angel Kunchev, warned that tropical diseases will inevitably reach Bulgaria due to climate change. He explained that rising global temperatures are altering biological systems, allowing illnesses like chikungunya and Zika fevers to spread into Southern Europe and further north.
Associate Professor Kunchev identified climate change as a major global threat, noting its direct impact on local species, including fish populations in the Black Sea and the arrival of arthropod carriers like tiger mosquitoes. He dismissed claims denying global warming, stating the environmental shifts are an undeniable fact.
He also cited other significant health threats for Bulgarians, including hospital-acquired infections and a high susceptibility to conspiracy theories. The health expert expressed concern over a widespread lack of critical thinking, where people readily accept unverified information from social media as truth.
Associate Professor Kunchev identified climate change as a major global threat, noting its direct impact on local species, including fish populations in the Black Sea and the arrival of arthropod carriers like tiger mosquitoes. He dismissed claims denying global warming, stating the environmental shifts are an undeniable fact.
He also cited other significant health threats for Bulgarians, including hospital-acquired infections and a high susceptibility to conspiracy theories. The health expert expressed concern over a widespread lack of critical thinking, where people readily accept unverified information from social media as truth.
