Dr Mira Taylor, Medical practitioner at the Koforidua Regional Hospital, has noted that climate change could increase the incidences of neurological conditions. Neurological conditions are illnesses that affect the brain or the central nervous system which cause paralysis, muscle weakness, loss of senses and other forms of disabilities. She explained that one of the causes of neurological conditions was said to be the change in weather patterns and with the rapid change in climate such diseases were likely to occur more and affect mainly the poor from developing countries who faced such harsh weather conditions. Climate change can be defined as a change in the weather or environment due to increased levels of carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere through human activities. Dr Taylor was speaking at a forum to mark World Multiple Sclerosis Day on the theme: "Effect of Climate Change on Human Health." It was organized by Sharecare Ghana, an association of people with autoimmune and neurological diseases, their families, care-givers and friends. The forum, which was organized in collaboration with the Ghana Association of Persons with Disabilities and other disabled organizations, brought together people suffering various disabilities, including the blind, those crippled as a result of autoimmune diseases, albinos, the deaf and mute. Multiple Sclerosis affects about three million individuals worldwide and it usually affects more women than men. Dr Taylor said Ghana was getting warm and it had been predicted that rainfall patterns would decrease in the very near future. She, therefore, advised Ghanaians to engage in activities that decrease the production of carbon dioxide, saying, "When carbon dioxide goes up, health goes down." Dr Michael Ofori of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, whose institution is collaborating with Sharecare to research into multiple sclerosis, said there had been established linkages between climate and the occurrence of some autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immune system (defense system) attacks the body organs. Autoimmune diseases cannot be cured completely but drugs can be administered to minimize their effects. He said death rates increase, especially among the elderly during extremely hot days. Dr Ofori mentioned that some researchers attribute the use of nail polish among other things that trigger autoimmune diseases and said there were some chemicals in certain nail polish which could be harmful to the human being. Dr Jeanett Aryee-Boi, a dermatologist at the 37 Military Hospital, who spoke on the effect of sun rays on the skin, said sun rays could cause skin cancer and lupus, an autoimmune disease that affects the skin. She also mentioned albinism, a disease that is caused as a result of the lack of melamine, a substance that produces colour pigment for the skin, advising albinos to protect themselves from the sun to prevent having skin cancer. She advised parents of albinos to avoid exposing their children to the sun. Mr Andrew Okaikoi, Chairman of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities, who chaired the forum, said persons with disability would soon embark on a tree planting exercise to contribute their quota to solving the climate change problem. Source: GNA