The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Task Team on Climate Change, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), and Malaria, in collaboration with Reaching the Last Mile (RLM), has released a significant scoping review in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. The review, which analyzed 42,693 articles, indicates that the understanding of climate change’s impacts on malaria and NTDs remains inadequate.
Rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns are altering the spread of vector-borne diseases, posing severe health risks and additional burdens on health systems. As disease vectors like mosquitoes expand their range, the risk of introducing these diseases to new, unprepared regions increases. The review emphasizes that these changes may disproportionately affect communities already burdened by these diseases.
Dr. Ibrahima Socé Fall, Director of WHO’s Global NTD Programme, stressed the need for comprehensive, collaborative, and standardized modeling to predict climate change effects on malaria and NTDs. He warned that malaria transmission could shift to higher altitudes and latitudes, while the mosquito vector for dengue and chikungunya is likely to expand its range. “This review is a call to urgent action to protect the hard-won victories of the past two decades,” Dr. Fall said.
The review highlights that much of the research has focused on low-disease burden countries with high healthcare access, neglecting areas most affected by these diseases. Tala Al-Ramahi, Chief Strategy Officer of RLM, called for greater investment in research to develop timely and evidence-based interventions. “The climate crisis threatens to reverse decades of progress in global health and development,” she stated.
Only 34% of the studies reviewed addressed mitigation strategies, and a mere 5% explored adaptation methods. Dr. Daniel Ngamije Madandi, Director of WHO’s Global Malaria Programme, emphasized the urgency for mitigation and adaptation strategies. “The impact of climate change will be disproportionately borne by the poorest, who are already most affected by malaria and NTDs,” he noted, advocating for an equitable and sustainable response.
The scoping review analyzed literature from January 2010 to October 2023, summarizing data and assessing the distribution of studies by country. Out of 42,693 records, 1,543 full-text papers were examined, with 511 meeting the inclusion criteria. The findings revealed a significant focus on malaria, dengue, and chikungunya, while other NTDs remain under-studied.
This review underscores the need for a more equitable focus on high-burden regions and comprehensive strategies to address the impending climate-related health challenges.
