Climate change is one of the most pressing global issues facing us today. With rising temperatures and changing weather patterns, the impact on the environment and ecosystems is significant. While many are aware of the damage it can cause to our planet, not many know about the consequences it can have on our health. The threat of viral outbreaks is one such impact that has gained attention in recent years. With a changing climate, the likelihood of infectious diseases spreading and infecting humans is on the rise. In this article, we will explore the links between climate change and viral outbreaks, and what we can do to mitigate its impact.
Climate change, which has brought about hotter temperatures and more frequent flooding and droughts globally, has also had an impact on the spread of infectious diseases around the world. Researchers have found that over half of known infectious diseases, including malaria and West Nile virus, could be impacted by climate change. This has prompted a newly-formed consortium of more than 100 scientists from public health agencies, academia, and industry to use data science and diagnostic testing to predict, track and control diseases that might pose a larger threat due to changing weather patterns.
The Climate Amplified Disease and Epidemics (CLIMADE) consortium will combine environmental, weather and virus data to identify potential outbreaks in affected areas. The consortium will then assess how to send medical resources and rapid surveillance testing to affected areas to prevent future outbreaks. The CLIMADE Consortium’s work will begin in Africa and expand to countries around the world to help mitigate future disease outbreaks.
As the co-founder of CLIMADE and a partner of the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition, Professor Tulio de Oliveira emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships in pandemic preparedness. The consortium’s objective is to stop a new outbreak from spreading while treating those already affected by the disease. Abbott, as a member of the consortium, will provide viral sequencing and testing data to monitor viral outbreaks, as well as diagnostic testing for potential outbreaks.
Pandemic preparedness is akin to fighting a fire right after it has caught, and climate change has only helped to fan those flames. However, Abbott’s public-private partnership offers a new model on how we can harness technology and data science to predict and combat the next global outbreak. By doing so, we will be able to go from sounding the alarm to putting out fires before they even begin.
As the world grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is becoming increasingly clear that climate change plays a significant role in the emergence and spread of viral outbreaks. From the melting of permafrost to the disruption of ecosystems, our changing climate is creating the perfect conditions for pathogens to jump from animals to humans. It is imperative that we take action to mitigate the effects of climate change, not just to protect the planet, but to safeguard our health and well-being. By investing in sustainable practices and policies, we can help prevent future outbreaks and ensure a healthier future for ourselves and generations to come. Let this be a wake-up call to all of us to act with urgency and take responsibility for the planet we call home.
