Climate Change and Future Pandemics
- ywacc.ngo
- May 2, 2020
- 3 min read
Hi everyone! We hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe during these unprecedented times. Today’s article will be somewhat related to our past articles regarding the global pandemic and its effects on climate change. Instead of the previous cause and effect relationship, today we will explore how climate change may lead to an increase of global health crises.
Researchers from the World Health Organisation (WHO), recently published research exploring that the threat of climate change could not only increase the number of outbreaks seen in the upcoming decades, but also increase their severity. Researchers have stated that as “temperatures continue to rise, infectious disease carrying animals may adapt to more widespread climates.” To provide some context, there are two main types of transmission for most infectious diseases: Anthroponoses and Zoonoses. Anthroponoses describe the transmission of a disease from one human to another human. This may be through direct transmission or indirectly through a vector. The other main type of transmission is Zoonoses. This kind of transmission refers to the cycling of diseases between animal hosts, and then is transmitted to a human. Again, this mode of transmission may be direct or through a vector or vehicle.
In general, it is thought that the ideal climate for the increased spread of infectious disease are climates that are hot and wet. This can be seen with many diseases such as malaria, which is spread through mosquitoes. Mosquitos thrive in warm and humid regions near the equator, which helps explain why places such as Africa and South Asia are heavily affected by malaria. But as global temperatures continue to rise combined with increased rainfall and flooding, there could be an increase in ideal environments for mosquitos to thrive in. In fact, it is quite alarming to note that there has been an average increase of about 0.13 degrees fahrenheit, or 0.07 degrees celsius, per decade since the 1880s. Even more startling is that the average rate of increase has more than doubled since 1981 (NOAA). This means that diseases that are relatively uncommon in areas further from the equator, may migrate and be suited for these changing climates.
Additionally, according to the WHO, the risk for malaria related epidemics can be five times as more likely after an El Niño event. El Niño is a weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific ocean where unusual winds cause warm water from the equator to move east towards Central and South America. This event is irregular and is greatly influenced by climate change, which again explains the increased threat of malaria with an increasing amount of climate change.
Deforestation may also pose a threat in the increased spread of infectious diseases. According to the US Agency for International Development, 75% of new or re-emerging diseases at the start of the 21st Century have been transmitted from animals, often because deforestation has brought them closer to human environments. Again, this example serves to prove how excess human activity on our planet can have profound, negative implications.
Furthermore, an increase in global temperature may make our own internal immune system less effective at fighting off pathogens. The reasoning is as follows: When our bodies are introduced to a foreign body, virus, or pathogen, its natural response is to develop a fever. The fever allows our body’s immune system to create an environment that is not favorable for the pathogen to survive and replicate. But with the threat of climate change, and warmer temperatures overall, many viruses are adapting to become better suited for these warmer temperatures. This renders our immune response ineffective, and may increase the spread of infectious diseases.
We hope that this article shed some light on a possible future or outcome that you had not previously considered. The harsh reality is that we as humans need to do better. If climate change continues like it has, the world may face some serious consequences.
*Please note that the COVID-19 outbreak has not yet been linked to climate change.
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