Climate change has long been a concern for our planet. A new report published by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) shows that climate change may increase the risk of pandemics. – Environmental changes are happening at a much higher speed now than before. And where there is a lack of immunity, things can spread quickly to entire populations, says Dr. Anne Spurkland, molecular immunologist and professor of anatomy at the University of Oslo. In a 2022 study, researchers analyzed decades of environmental data related to Lassa fever outbreaks in Nigeria. The study revealed that temperature and rainfall were key factors contributing to disease transmission. From animals to humans In Nigeria, Dr. Nnennaya Ajayi explains, a warmer planet in recent years has led to the dry seasons becoming warmer, and the rainy seasons wetter. These “changes in the ecosystem”, as she describes them, bring first fires and then floods. This leads to rats and other rodents seeking refuge and food in people’s homes. – Climate change forces everything that can, to seek refuge, says Professor Aaron Bernstein, head of the Center for Climate, Health and the Environment at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. RAT TO CASH: Residents hold a cage with a trapped rat as they wait their turn at a “Rat to Cash” program in Marikina City, Philippines. Local authorities pay residents $3.50 per rat they surrender, as part of their program against leptospirosis, a disease mainly caused by rodents. Photo: Aaron Favila / AP This means that species that were previously geographically isolated are now running into each other with increasing regularity. – This increases the risk that they will spread the virus to each other and to people, explains Bernstein. Research shows that climate change has contributed to an increased incidence of diseases that are spread from animals to humans. This means that outbreaks of deadly diseases are becoming larger, more frequent – and more widespread. Researchers at the University of Brussels in Belgium and at Scripp Research in the US warned that climate change is causing Lassa fever to expand its deadly reach, far beyond its Nigerian and West African origins. Deadly reach It’s not just rats that spread disease. According to the CEPI report, climate change can lead to an increased incidence of disease-carrying insects such as mosquitoes and ticks. Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on earth, killing between 725,000 and 1 million people a year – and making millions more sick. WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS: The picture shows a mosquito on a person’s arm. Mosquitoes are considered one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet due to their ability to spread deadly diseases such as malaria, Zika, chikungunya or dengue fever. Photo: PHILIPPE HUGUEN / Afp Higher temperatures and increased rainfall can cause swamp areas, which are known habitats for mosquitoes, to become larger and more widespread. This can create ideal conditions for mosquitoes to reproduce and spread to new areas. In addition, increased rainfall can cause swamp areas to remain under water for a longer period of time, which can increase the amount of mosquitoes and their reproduction rate. MALARIA: A mother holds her baby receiving a new malaria vaccine in Kombewa in Western Kenya. Although the vaccine only protects about a third of children who are vaccinated, those who get the shot are likely to have less severe cases of malaria. Photo: Karel Prinsloo / AP As a result, climate change may increase the risk of the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and Zika. Climate change can also affect the migration patterns and habitat of animals such as bats, which are known to be an important source of diseases such as Ebola, SARS and covid-19. Reason for optimism Health systems in the world are not ready for the double burden of climate change and increased pandemic risk, writes CEPI’s chief science writer Kate Kelland. OPTIMIST: CEPI’s chief science writer, Kate Kelland, says there is a need for more research related to climate change and pandemics – and puts her faith in scientific knowledge. Photo: CEPI This means that there is a need for an increase in global disease surveillance and early warning systems – as well as research for preparedness against known and as yet unknown epidemic diseases, she writes. Despite these challenges, Kelland argues that there is reason for optimism. – We now have the scientific knowledge and technical ability to control such outbreaks before they get out of control. This means that we will be able to start limiting the increasing risk and neutralize its pandemic potential.
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Climate change increases the risk of new diseases – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
