Climate change

• Malaria

  • Vector: mosquitoes
  • As temperatures rise with global warming, malaria will creep up the mountains and spread to new, high-altitude areas due to less rainfall and more favourable conditions for mosquitoes to thrive in
  • However, the populations in areas of higher altitude lack protective immunity, they will be particularly vulnerable for severe morbidity and mortality
• Lyme disease

  • Vector: tick
  • In the US, since 1970s, instances of Lyme disease has increased massively - 300,000 cases annually
  • Climate change is partly to blame for the disease’s rise because climate simulations have shown that the warm temperatures spread northwards, which has matched with the tick‘s sprawl
  • Milder temperatures mean increased survival rates for ticks and so therefore, previously chilly zones get warmer and more habitable for ticks
• Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)

  • Vector: tsetse fly
  • the flu carried the parasite which causes sleeping sickness
  • Climate change increases temperatures in Southern Africa which provides optimum conditions for tsetse larvae survival and growth
  • Climate change has shifted geographical distribution of sleeping sickness
  • For example, in Eastern Africa there may be decreased rates of sleeping sickness as it becomes too hot for the tsetse larvae to survive