Climate change risks aggravating over half of all known human pathogenic diseases
In short: Researchers conducted a systematic search for empirical evidence regarding how ten different climatic hazards—driven by greenhouse gas emissions—impact every known human pathogenic disease. They found that 58% of these infectious diseases have been aggravated by climatic hazards at some point, while only 16% were diminished.
The study identified 1,006 unique pathways through which climate-related hazards facilitate the transmission of pathogens to humans. Because these impacts are so widespread and numerous, the researchers suggest that comprehensive societal adaptation is difficult, making it essential to address the root cause by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This research was conducted as a systematic search for empirical examples across all known human diseases. A limitation of this approach is that it identifies associations between climatic hazards and disease aggravation rather than establishing direct causal mechanisms for every specific pathway.
Why it matters: The widespread impact of climate change on disease transmission highlights the importance of addressing greenhouse gas emissions to protect global health.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Mora et al. (2022). Over half of known human pathogenic diseases can be aggravated by climate change. Nature climate change.
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