The Intersection of Climate Crisis and Disease Outbreaks: Cataclysmic Consequences

A few of the negative effects of climate change that are threatening ecosystems include rising temperatures, extreme weather and sea level rise. The conditions under which vectors carrying the disease are present, such as ticks, mosquitoes and fleas, result from rising temperatures and precipitation patterns. The wide range of Aedes mosquitoes aid in the spread of the Zika virus and dengue fever. Lyme disease has expanded northward in Quebec due to climate change, which was previously considered a low-risk zone for this disease. It is important to note that the spread of malaria to previously low-risk areas, in particular the highlands and the hills of northern India, has been facilitated by rising temperatures and changing precipitation. The ability of cholera-causing organisms to multiply in vulnerable areas is further aided by changes in rising temperatures. The introduction of zoonotic diseases like Ebola, SARS, and COVID-19 is facilitated by ecological changes brought on not only by climate change but by loss of biodiversity also. Population displacement caused by climate-related disasters can also escalate the risk of disease transmission. In most cases, victims of these outbreaks of diseases are the poor people of developing countries. To minimise or stop the spread of disease, effective public health policies and combating climate change are indispensable. Interdisciplinary collaboration, policy interventions, and public awareness are necessary to combat all of these. This communication aims to discuss the impact of climate change on epidemics and to stress the urgent need for comprehensive and coordinated measures to address the problem.