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Infectious diseases likely to spread as a consequence of global warming, says WHO

11 Apr 2008

Joao Souza

Source: World Health Organization (see original article)

Global warming is now recognised as threat to humanity but many infectious organisms will emerge as beneficiaries, especially the parasites that are already responsible for a major part of the disease burden faced by the poor in developing countries.

This warning was delivered by Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization on the occasion of World Health Day (7 April 2008). Some highlights from her speech follow below.

‘…Flooding can be followed by outbreaks of diseases, such as cholera, especially when water and sanitation services are damaged or destroyed.’

‘…Both scarcities of water, which is essential for hygiene, and excess water due to more frequent and torrential rainfall will increase the burden of diarrhoeal disease, which is spread through contaminated food and water. Diarrhoeal disease is already the second leading infectious cause of childhood mortality and accounts for a total of approximately 1.8 million deaths each year.’

‘…Changing temperatures and patterns of rainfall are expected to alter the geographical distribution of insect vectors that spread infectious diseases. Of these diseases, malaria and dengue are of greatest public health concern.’

‘In short, climate change can affect problems that are already huge, largely concentrated in the developing world, and difficult to combat.’

‘Citizens, too, need to be fully informed of the health issues. In the end, it is their concerns that can spur policy-makers to take the right actions, urgently.’

During a separate news conference in Manila, Philippines, Dr Shigeru Omi, the head of the WHO’s Western Pacific Office, said that malaria and dengue fever appeared to be already affected by the spread of mosquitoes from the tropics into formerly cooler climates, according to Reuters.

‘Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are now found in areas where there was no malaria before’, said Dr Omi, adding: ‘For dengue, there are many other factors responsible for the rise of the mosquitoes. But I am sure that climate change is certainly playing one of the many roles, that much we can say.’

Dr Omi said that WHO is setting aside $10 million for an advocacy programme to inform people and governments about the health dangers of climate change and steps that can be taken to address them.

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