Climate change responsible for aggravating infectious diseases: Health experts

By Mahima Devkota, Kathmandu, Sept. 1:  Health experts have pointed out the need to avert the worsening situation of the spread of infectious diseases saying that climate change has aggravated many infectious diseases in the country.

Dr. Samir Kumar Adhikari, Chief of the Multi-Sector Coordination Section under the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), said that climate change and infectious diseases have been always linked, but it is coming into the light of late as the effects of climate change are more severe and widespread now than in the past years.

Dr. Adhikari said, "Risk of infectious diseases changes along with climate change. Climate change increases temperature and even the temperate regions become susceptible to vector-borne diseases, which are basically dominant in tropical regions. It is because infectious diseases are caused and spread by mosquitos that usually breed in a hot climate. One of the best examples of tropical diseases spread in temperate regions in Nepal is dengue. Previously, dengue used to be observed in tropical regions but now it has spread also to places of temperate climates such as the Humla and Kalikot districts. Dengue has spread in 66 districts of the country."

Likewise, cases of diarrhea, cholera, malaria, chikungunya, yellow fever, or high fever are increasing in Nepal lately due to the rise in temperature.

He said, "Even a rise in a one-degree temperature can have 4 -7 times surge in diseases like cholera, diarrhea, malaria, and dengue, which is transmitted by mosquitos and viruses."

The research conducted by 'Nature Climate Change' found that 218 of 375 infectious diseases found worldwide, or 58 percent, have been worsened by climate hazards at some point.

Dr. Anup Bastola, an infectious disease expert said that humidity and a rise in temperature due to climate change give a favorable environment for the growth and development of mosquitos which is responsible for increasing vector-borne diseases. Mosquitos are adaptable and therefore, they can easily multiply which threatens the further spread of infectious diseases. 

Not only infectious diseases but also, skin and eye problem disease as well as non-communicable diseases such as heat stroke, stroke, pressure, reproductive issues, and mental health issues can be directly and indirectly observed due to extreme climatic conditions. 

Similarly, due to climate change, there is a movement and migration of animals and birds in new regions. As a result, many new infectious diseases are emerging and spreading. the current example of it is diseases such as monkeypox and Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which were previously dominant in Africa and now are being observed in cold climates of Europe and America. 

Dr. Samir Mani Dixit, a public health expert, said that people become infected through disease-carrying mosquitos, rats, and deer after extreme rain and floods. In other cases, warmer oceans and heat waves led to tainted seafood. Droughts cause changes in bat habits, which leads to viral infections such as swine flu, SARS, and even the COVID-19 pandemic which has grappled the whole world for 2.5 years.

He said, "Climate change is causing extreme drought and extreme rainfall as a result many waterborne, vector-borne diseases escalate in the monsoon and summer seasons in Nepal." 

Therefore, there is a need for early policy-making and implementation to reduce the risks of vector and infectious diseases in a country before the situation worsens.