DOCTORS and environmental experts have said that climate change has been contributing to the increase in heart disease and cancer.

The experts said the increase in temperature, drought and air and environmental pollution contribute to the increase in chronic diseases of the air system.

The director of the Jakaya Kikwete Heart Institute (JKCI), Dr. Peter Kisenge said that when there is a drought, pregnant women do not get the necessary nutrition including folic acid found in vegetables and fruits, so children can be born with holes in the heart.

"But also not getting clean air can contribute to heart and lung diseases," said Dr. Kisenge.

He said that when patients with high blood pressure get very hot, they experience mental stress, which causes the heart to race, fatigue and cause a stroke.

Dr. Kisenge advised the public to build a culture of health testing, identify early if they have problems and pay attention to good nutrition, exercise.

He says smoking, excessive alcohol consumption is dangerous.

Diabetic specialist Prof Andrew Swai said that due to climate change, the environment is changing, the way of life is changing and the type of food is also changing.

Lecturer at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Professor, Fransis Furia said the combination of animals and people helps to reduce some diseases.

Professor Furia said in the past it was believed that diseases such as asthma and allergies did not occur in rural areas because they play in the mud, they meet worms and insects in the soil.

"Right now because of the changes, it doesn't rain and the insects are dying so we don't meet them, right now we are building houses, we are putting marbles, they don't want the children to get soil, we want them to play there and meet the insects and get used to them," he said.

Professor Furia said air pollution is also caused by cigarette smoke which is harmful to people who are close to users.

An expert on climate change and the environment, Richard Mayungi said climate change can contribute to non-communicable diseases by changing the human way of life.

Mayungi said that if the human body is used to 24 degrees and then the situation changes to 28 degrees, the system must need a lot of water and respiration changes.