As the planet warms, infectious diseases transmitted through air, water, and vectors like mosquitoes are expanding into new regions, complicating public health responses worldwide.
In short:
- Warmer temperatures and extreme weather events are fueling the spread of respiratory, waterborne, and mosquito-borne diseases by creating favorable conditions for pathogens and vectors.
- Urbanization, habitat disruption, and human migration are intensifying vulnerability to infectious diseases, especially in low-resource areas with fragile public health systems.
- Community-driven actions like waste cleanup and larval source reduction, combined with climate-linked early warning systems, are emerging as critical strategies to fight disease outbreaks.
Key quote:
"You have this convergence of crises—the climate crisis overlapping with the pollution crisis."
— Angelle Desiree LaBeaud, physician-scientist, epidemiologist, and professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stanford University’s School of Medicine
Why this matters:
Infectious diseases no longer respect the seasonal and geographic boundaries that once shaped their spread. As the climate warms, mosquito-borne viruses like dengue and Zika are creeping into new territories, while bacteria flourish in floodwaters and heat-stricken soils. Rapid urbanization and conflict-driven displacement further accelerate the problem, exposing millions to new health threats with little warning. Public health systems, especially in the Global South, are often ill-equipped to adapt, lacking affordable diagnostics, treatments, or comprehensive surveillance. Meanwhile, plastic pollution compounds the crisis, offering breeding grounds for disease vectors and surfaces for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. The environmental and health consequences ripple outward, affecting ecosystems, economies, and human lives across borders.
Related EHN coverage: Pollution, climate change and the Global Burden of Disease
