Exploring the Increased Risk of Vector-Borne Diseases Driven by Climate Change and Proposing Strategic Solutions to Mitigate the Impact. A Narrative Review

Abstract

Since the middle of the 20th century, human activity has caused Earth's climate to change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects that global temperatures will continue rising in the coming decades, leading to significant environmental and health impacts. This traditional narrative review synthesises evidence from previously published literature to determine the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases caused by climate change, their environmental factors, and solutions to address the issues. The vector-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus, malaria, dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika virus, are related to changing climatic conditions that create favorable environments for the transmission of the disease. The climatic factors include rising temperatures, drought, hurricanes, floods, changes in rainfall patterns, higher relative humidity, and shifts in wind patterns. The findings indicate that climate change not only expands the geographical distribution of vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, and rodents, but also enhances their breeding and survival rates, leading to increased transmission risks. To mitigate these impacts, this review proposes several strategic solutions, including improved surveillance, adaptation measures, disease risk assessments, mitigation, and public health education.