Assessing climate change effects on vector-borne disease patterns to strengthen surveillance, prevention and adaptive global public health policies
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Climate change has emerged as a defining public health challenge of the 21st century, profoundly influencing the distribution, transmission dynamics, and seasonality of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) worldwide. Rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events are reshaping ecosystems, expanding the geographic range of disease vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, and sandflies into previously non-endemic regions. This environmental shift has contributed to the resurgence and spread of major diseases, including malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Zika virus, and Lyme disease, particularly in vulnerable low- and middle-income countries with limited health infrastructure. At a broader scale, these changes underscore the need for integrated climate–health modeling frameworks to anticipate vector proliferation and disease outbreaks under varying emission and climate scenarios. However, current surveillance and control strategies remain fragmented and often reactive, lacking the capacity to address the complex interactions between climate, vector ecology, and human behavior. Strengthening global health resilience requires adaptive and predictive systems that merge satellite-based climate data, remote sensing, and machine learning to monitor environmental determinants in real time. A transition toward proactive, evidence-based policymaking anchored in One Health principles and supported by international collaboration is essential to mitigate disease burden. This approach not only enhances surveillance and early warning systems but also informs targeted interventions, resource allocation, and community-based adaptation strategies. Ultimately, integrating climate intelligence into vector-borne disease management can enable nations to anticipate emerging health threats, protect at-risk populations, and build sustainable public health systems resilient to ongoing and future climate change impacts.
Authors: Bukola Fagbemi, Chinwendu Ubani
Institution: Western Illinois University
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7086738863