Researchers are warning of a dangerous side effect of changing global temperatures that could challenge health systems, particularly in vulnerable regions.
What's happening?
As detailed by News Medical, the journal Nature Climate Change published a perspectives article examining the "complex relationship" between displacement and health costs associated with infectious diseases. Researchers suggest that advancements made in limiting the damage of infectious diseases could be canceled out by climate-linked migration.
Land use patterns and internal displacement are factors in the risk of infectious disease spread, as News Medical noted, but so too are other climate hazards.
For example, warmer temperatures make conditions more ideal for some viruses to spread, while extreme weather events can cause health facilities to overcrowd — with close quarters providing opportunities for infectious diseases to pass from one person to another.
The analysis found that health systems in Africa and Asia were most burdened by the effects of changing temperatures, even though many of the continents' nations generated minimal pollution.
According to the World Resources Institute, 10 emitters produce nearly 70% of all planet-warming pollution. The top five are China, the United States, India, the European Union (27 members), and Russia.
Why is this important?
In 1996, the World Health Organization warned that tens of thousands of people were dying every day from infectious diseases, many of which are preventable or curable. At the time, they cautioned that 30 new diseases had begun spreading over the past two decades.
However, it appears conditions haven't gotten any less favorable for diseases to spread.
The world has been warming at an accelerated rate since the preindustrial era. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, temperatures have been rising "much faster than the long-term trend" over the past 30 years — contributing to displacement and extreme weather.
Earlier this year, flooding in South Sudan exacerbated a deadly hepatitis E outbreak, while landslides in Ethiopia killed hundreds of people in July. In the United States, millions of Americans moved or were displaced by extreme weather between 2000 and 2022.
What can be done about this?
The article in Nature Climate Change called for further research to identify ways to improve mitigation and adaptation strategies, including "targeted interventions in housing, sanitation, and disease surveillance," as reported by News Medical.
The report also called for more climate-resilient cities. To that point, while more work can be done, there are already some tools to help humanity cope with the effects of changing temperatures, from floating houses to smart reefs that protect against floods and storm surges.
Medical advancements have also entered the scene. For example, a malaria vaccine pilot program in Africa resulted in 13% fewer deaths in young children. In May, the WHO also approved a dengue vaccine after surges of the mosquito-borne virus earlier this year.
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