Vector-Borne Diseases and Climate Change in the Environmental Context in Haiti

Abstract

Climate change is one of the main challenges facing many countries, particularly developing countries, because of its negative impact on their various ecosystems and their socio-economic development, which very often leads them down a slow descent into poverty. This is because climate change can manifest itself in different forms such as climate variability and extreme events (droughts, epidemics, floods, storms and hurricanes), which can affect biodiversity and cause many human and animal diseases and deaths. In fact, the evolution of ecosystems is dependent on climate and environmental change and appears to be closely associated with many emerging or re-emerging diseases. In general, the ecosystems considered to be most exposed to climate change are those located in and around the intertropical convergence zone in particular. They are believed to be closely linked to the occurrence of several emerging diseases, particularly vector-borne diseases. For years, the Republic of Haiti has been experiencing the adverse effects of these global changes with a marked disruption of its rainfall pattern and prolonged periods of drought as well as a pronounced increase in temperatures even in high altitude areas. Although there is evidence that climate change is increasing the frequency of vector-borne diseases and may contribute to increasing the virulence of their pathogens, there are very few studies conducted in Haiti on the relationship between climate change and vector-borne diseases. The purpose of this chapter is to define the interrelationships between climate change and vector-borne diseases in Haiti by identifying avenues of research to better understand the effects of climate change on public health and to make appropriate recommendations to decision-makers to ensure proper management.

The need to implement one health approach in controlling vector-borne diseases in Nigeria

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Civic science education for youth-driven water security: A behavioral development approach to strengthening climate resilience

“…Due to these and other factors (e.g., high population density; limited infrastructure), Haitian citizens face numerous risks to their health and well-being in the context of climate change, with multi-faceted implications for human development. Compared to the volume of research examining the implications of climate change for Haitians’ physical health (e.g., Balthazard-Accou et al, 2021; Louis et al, 2021; Rise et al, 2022), limited empirical research has explored how climate change may impact human development in a Haitian context. There is a particular need for research at the intersections of climate change and development for children and young people who, compared with adults, face greater risks to their health and well-being due to heightened present-day physiological vulnerability as well as prolonged lifetime exposure to climate-driven instability over the decades to come.…”