Many infectious diseases are climate sensitive. Warmer climates are expanding the areas where disease-carrying vectors (like mosquitoes and ticks) can survive. Increased rainfall, floods and drought can create stagnant water for vectors to breed or increase the risk of contaminated water.

The atmosphere and oceans have warmed, which has been accompanied by sea level rise, a strong decline in Arctic sea ice, and other climate-related changes. The impacts of climate change on people and nature are increasingly apparent. Unprecedented flooding, heat waves, and wildfires have cost billions in damages.

As the globe warms, mosquitoes will roam beyond their current habitats, shifting the burden of diseases like malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya and West Nile virus. Researchers forecast different scenarios depending on the extent of climate change.

Among its numerous adverse effects on human health, there is strong evidence linking climate change to infectious disease outbreaks. A recent analysis revealed that of 375 infectious diseases affecting human beings, 218 (58%) can be aggravated by climatic hazards.