Association of climate change and vector borne diseases in South Asia: a systematic review protocol

Abstract

Abstract Objective The objective of this review is to provide consolidated evidence on the occurrence of vector-borne diseases is associated with climate change in South Asia. Introduction: Vector Borne Diseases (VBDs) are parasitic, viral, and bacterial ailments transmitted to humans by vectors. Vectors are organisms capable of transmitting infectious pathogens between humans or between humans and animals. Vector Borne Diseases (VBDs) are one of the climate-sensitive communicable diseases identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate change is a cause for concern since it can have direct and indirect effects on the epidemiology of VBDs. South Asian countries are highly vulnerable to climate change according to the ND-GAIN Country Index. Inclusion criteria: This systematic review will include the studies on the population residing in eight South Asian countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and Afghanistan related to vector borne diseases; namely, malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, lymphatic filariasis, Leishmaniasis or kala-azar and schistosomiasis in South Asia and their association with climate change aspects such as increased temperatures, varied precipitation, humidity levels as outcomes. Methods A preliminary search of PubMed will be conducted using MESH terms to find relevant papers on Vector Borne Disease, climate change, South Asia. A three-step search approach will be then implemented, including a preliminary limited search, using textual terms in titles and abstracts, and index terms. The databases to be searched for published papers will include Embase (Elsevier), MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus (Elsevier), Web of Science (Clarivate), and Google Scholar. Grey literature, such as Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's technical reports, master's and doctoral dissertations, technical reports of WHO, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and other grey literature will be searched and analyzed. Titles and abstracts will be screened by two independent reviewers, and papers selected for retrieval will be evaluated for methodological validity using standard checklists. Data will be extracted and synthesized using JBI data extraction forms and synthesis tools for risk/etiology. A meta-analysis of quantitative data will, where possible will be performed using R Studio, and where meta-analysis is not possible, the results will be provided in narrative format including tables and figures to aid in data presentation.