A groundbreaking scoping review by 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 been published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. This extensive review of 42,693 articles underscores a critical gap in understanding the implications of climate change on malaria and NTDs.
The review highlights how rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns are altering the spread of vector-borne diseases, posing severe risks to global health. Disease vectors such as mosquitoes are expanding their geographic range, increasing the threat of introducing these diseases to new, often unprepared areas. Communities already disproportionately affected by these diseases are likely to face the greatest challenges from these shifts.
Dr. Ibrahima Socé Fall, Director of WHO’s Global NTD Programme, emphasized the urgent need for standardized, collaborative research to predict and manage the effects of climate change on these diseases. “The findings presented in this major review highlight the need for more comprehensive, collaborative, and standardized modeling so that we can better understand and predict the effects of climate change on malaria and NTDs, both directly and indirectly,” he stated.
“This important and timely review reveals alarming trends and is a call to urgent action. Malaria transmission is likely to shift both polewards and to higher altitudes, while the mosquito vector responsible for the transmission of dengue and chikungunya is predicted to continue to expand its range. If we are to protect and build upon the hard-won victories of the past two decades, the time to mobilize is now.”
The review reveals that a significant portion of existing research has focused on low-disease burden countries with high access to quality healthcare (HAQI), neglecting the regions most vulnerable to these diseases. This discrepancy is a growing emergency for underserved communities.
“The climate crisis has the potential to reverse decades of progress in global health and development,” warned Tala Al-Ramahi, Chief Strategy Officer of Reaching the Last Mile. “Greater investment in research is urgently needed to support the development of timely and evidence-based interventions, and to allow us to anticipate and mitigate the worst consequences of climate change on human health.”
Notably, only 34% of the reviewed studies (174 studies) addressed mitigation strategies, and a mere 5% (24 studies) explored adaptation methods. This stark lack of evidence underscores the urgent need for strategies to protect the progress made against malaria and NTDs over recent decades.
Dr. Daniel Ngamije Madandi, Director of the WHO’s Global Malaria Programme, echoed the urgency of the situation. “We have recently seen the consequences of extreme weather events on malaria, and they are only predicted to become more commonplace. The paper provides a clarion call for mitigation and evidence-responsive adaptation to climate change,” he said.
“As the impact of climate change is likely to be disproportionately borne by the poorest people, who are also disproportionately affected by malaria and NTDs, a more equitable, comprehensive and sustainable response is needed.”
The review analyzed peer-reviewed papers and grey literature published between January 2010 and October 2023. From the 42,693 records retrieved, 1,543 full-text papers were examined, with 511 meeting the inclusion criteria. Of these, 185 papers addressed malaria, 181 focused on dengue and chikungunya, and 53 reported on leishmaniasis. Other NTDs remain significantly under-represented in research.
This scoping review by WHO and partners underscores the necessity for urgent and targeted research to understand and mitigate the impacts of climate change on malaria and NTDs. As the global community faces this growing threat, coordinated efforts and increased investment in research and intervention strategies are crucial to safeguard global health progress.
