Health

Emilie Finch et al. – Planetary health approaches to understand and control vector-borne diseases | Chapter 12

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) cause over 700,000 deaths yearly, worsened by climate change and urbanization. Climate-informed early warning systems (EWS) use climate data to predict outbreaks, enabling faster public health responses. Despite their success in disaster risk reduction, EWS are underused in health, with few operational tools available.

DOI: 10.3920/9789004688650_014

Lotto Batista M et al. – J. Roy. Soc. Interface

This study demonstrates that hydrometeorological indicators, including El Niño, precipitation, and river height, are strong predictors of leptospirosis outbreaks in northeastern Argentina. By using a Bayesian modelling framework, the researchers found that climate-driven models accurately detected 89% of outbreaks, suggesting that such tools could effectively contribute to an early warning system for leptospirosis in the region.

DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0069

The Lancet Regional Health – Europe
This article discusses the complexities of tracking the links between climate, health, and justice across regions and time. It calls for better, standardized data systems to address disparities and guide equitable policy interventions globally.

DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00051-8

Claudia Di Napoli et al. – Meteorological Applications

This article highlights the need for climate-smart decisions in public health due to extreme weather events. The Lancet Countdown system uses reanalysis datasets like ERA5 to track global climate-related health impacts, such as heatwaves and disease transmission, and provides indicators to measure these effects. Public health professionals should collaborate to refine these datasets for better health outcomes.

DOI: 10.1002/met.2122