Diarrheal disease and climate change

The findings presented in this factsheet are based on research by the Belmont Forum-funded project, Addressing extreme weather-related diarrheal disease risks in the Asia Pacific region (AWARD-APR). This project's overarching goal is to help communities across the Asia-Pacific region with tools to prevent and manage diarrheal disease in young children. This effort involved the development of an innovative early warning system for implementation across the entire region that uses information from long-term weather trends, enabling the prediction of conditions conducive to the proliferation of diarrheal diseases.

Floods, drought, and extreme heat linked to climate change are disrupting clean water and sanitation systems and increasing the risk of water contamination and poor hygiene practices. Furthermore, changes in temperature and humidity create conditions that support the growth and spread of disease-causing germs. Climate change can also impact food supplies, leading to malnutrition and weakened immune systems, making children more susceptible to diarrheal diseases. In summary, climate change is playing a role in worsening the prevalence of diarrheal diseases among young children in low-income countries.