Climate change is accelerating the spread of disease, according to SA scientist Professor Tulio de Oliveira, who warns that pathogens are spreading across borders faster than ever, thanks to rising temperatures, and that climate resilient infrastructure needs to be designed and built.
“If we keep polluting the environment and the world, we’re going to end up with us sick, our children sick, and our grandchildren sick,” said De Oliveira while presenting a report on global pathogen spread at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan last Thursday.
De Oliveira, the report’s lead author and renowned global health researcher and director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, warned that climate change is driving the spread of disease.
On the final day of COP29, an international team of more than 100 scientists and policymakers released the 2024 edition of the Climate Change and Epidemics report.
The report underscores the alarming acceleration of pathogen spread and infectious disease outbreaks, driven by climate change, with scientists saying 2024 has been a record year for epidemics.
“We are heading into an era of epidemics, where the amplification cycle between global warming and pathogens is accelerating. In the coming years, it will become clear that without significant reductions in carbon emissions, we, along with future generations, will face more frequent and unusual diseases,” it says.
News24 reports that the world witnessed the highest number of dengue virus cases ever recorded this year, with more 13m diagnosed cases globally.
Additionally, there was unprecedented spread of the West Nile virus, with cases in 19 European countries. In East Africa, spikes in antimicrobial resistance related to malaria have been observed, while a new pathogen, Oropouche, emerged in South America.
The report found that the continuous increase in global temperatures is creating more hospitable environments for disease vectors, including mosquitoes, rodents, and ticks.
Shifting patterns of temperature and rainfall are affecting food and water availability, which, in turn, forces population displacement, creating new vectors for disease transmission.
In addition, more frequent and severe extreme weather events like floods, hurricanes, and droughts are further driving the spread of diseases. Heatwaves, droughts, floods, and cyclones not only result in deaths but also facilitate outbreaks of bacterial diseases like Vibrio cholera.
In 2023 and 2024, the world saw the largest cholera outbreaks in recent history, with 17 African nations and Haiti (which had been cholera-free for five years) grappling with large-scale outbreaks, the report said.
A scientific review has estimated that climate change has the potential to aggravate more than 50% of known human pathogens, and the report highlighted that Africa is most likely to feed the impact
De Oliveira told News24 the impact of climate change is far-reaching for South Africa.
Extreme weather events can release pathogens into the environment, as seen during heavy flooding in KwaZulu-Natal a few years ago when waterways and beaches were contaminated with E.coli.
Droughts or flooding can also often result in migration, with the movement of people transporting disease.
Health facilities can also be affected, being flooded or damaged in severe storms, reducing the government's ability to respond to an outbreak.
“We have to build healthcare facilities that are climate resilient…. ensure clinics are not built in areas that flood and that roofs will not fly off in storms. We also need systematic change… fitting them with solar panels, water recycling systems and better waste management practices. We don’t just need resilient, we need facilities that decrease the contribution to climate change,” urged De Oliviera.
A senior research associate at the Institute for Security Studies, Dhesigen Naidoo, said South Africa is already seeing the impact of climate change on health.
“As temperatures increase, humidity changes and flooding become more regular… we’re seeing an increase in vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
“A decade ago, South Africa was malaria-free. Now we have three provinces that are vulnerable. That pattern is set to increase,” he said.
Higher temperatures are also tied to non-communicable diseases, and can increase incidents of cardiovascular, respiratory and renal disease.
“We will have to up our game on prevention,” said Naidoo. “We need to revitalise vaccine campaigns. Things we thought we’d eradicated are coming back, such as polio. We have to increase the public’s understanding – rapidly.”
Significant investments in healthcare facilities were also critical. Many clinics and hospitals were designed for lower temperatures, without the ventilation or refrigeration necessary for hotter days. In addition, cold chains will now become vital for almost all medications to prevent them from denaturing.
“If patients are queuing for hours in buildings that are not properly ventilated, they are actually going to get sick in a serious way,” he said.
A study by the SA Medical Research Council’s (SAMRC) Environment and Health Research Unit found that temperatures at public facilities – like clinics – can soar in summer months.
Chief specialist scientist at the SAMRC, Professor Caradee Wright, said that in provinces like Limpopo, temperatures in waiting rooms and clinics can be between 35 and 40 degrees.
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News24 article – COP 29: Climate change is speeding up the spread of diseases, top SA scientist warns (Restricted access)
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