Climate change and its associated impacts have been closely linked to increased risks of infectious disease transmission, with projections indicating that these risks and lead to substantial disruptions in human societies. This situation is further complicated by a significant rise in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), which increased from 33.3 million to 71.
1 million between 2013 and 2022, reflecting the extensive human displacement driven by various factors such as conflicts, violence, and natural disasters. In a recent perspective piece in , our team of researchers—an between researchers from the Department of Biology and the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford and Stellenbosch University's Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI)—came together to deepen our understanding of the impacts of the interrelated crises of climate change, , and and to explore their potential implications for research and policy. This work is part of the broader initiative to address the pressing concerns around climate-sensitive diseases as part of the Climate Amplified Diseases and Epidemics (CLIMADE) consortium.
Our review and analyses show that that have contributed the most to global emissions face a lower infectious disease burden and are less vulnerable to the added impacts of climate change. On the other hand, low- and (LMICs) in Africa and Asia, that have made the least contribution to the global emission of greenhouse gases, have continue.