RESPIRATORY AND CHRONIC ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ARAL SEA ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL PILOT STUDY ON PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES

Abstract

The desiccation of the Aral Sea represents one of the most devastating anthropogenic environmental disasters in modern history, severely impacting public health across Central Asia. This cross-sectional pilot study investigates the direct and indirect consequences of this ecological crisis on human health in Western Uzbekistan, specifically within the Khorezm region and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Utilizing a structured, face-to-face questionnaire format, empirical data were collected from 80 randomly selected local participants. The results indicate an alarming prevalence of multi-system pathologies: 80% of the surveyed population suffered from chronic symptoms associated with iron-deficiency anemia, while 65% to 70% reported persistent fluctuations in blood pressure and arterial hypertension. Paradoxically, the study revealed a critical secondary nutritional crisis among the pediatric demographic. Driven by loss of appetite and the collapse of local organic agricultural systems due to soil salinization, children have increasingly transitioned to hyper-processed foods, sweets, and fast food, triggering a sharp rise in childhood obesity