Eco-Health Dynamics: Climate Change, Sustainable Development and the Emergence of Infectious Challenges

Abstract

This comprehensive review explores the intricate relationships between climate change, sustainable development and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). Changes in climate parameters, such as rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns pose profound ecological, environmental and socio-economic threats. The review delves into emerging threats such as vector-borne diseases, the resurgence of dormant pathogens due to melting ice layers and the complex global health challenge of antimicrobial resistance. It emphasizes the importance of integrating EID risk into sustainable development planning through a multisectoral approach. The review underscores the pivotal role of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goals 2 and 15, in mitigating EID risks, emphasizing the delicate balance required to simultaneously enhance agricultural productivity and conserve terrestrial ecosystems. Mitigation and adaptation tactics required for responding to climate change necessitate effective international policies, particularly in key sectors like agriculture, industry, forestry, transport and land use. Associations between climate change and infectious diseases suggest collaborative efforts among researchers, policymakers and nations to achieve a balanced and sustainable future. Effective mitigation, calibrated with the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, lowers the risks of new infectious diseases and ensures the well-being of both ecosystems and societies on a global scale.