Vector-Borne Diseases and Climate Change: A Community Health Nursing Perspective Using an Umbrella Review

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Public Health Nursing

Background:

• Climate change exacerbates vector-borne disease spread via temperature shifts, altered precipitation, and thawing permafrost.
• Community health nurses (CHNs) are crucial for community adaptation to climate-sensitive health threats.
• Vector-borne diseases pose increasing risks due to global environmental changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the evidence linking climate change to vector-borne disease outbreaks.
• To propose the Climate Change Adaptation Theory (CCAT) to guide CHNs in community adaptation.
• To support CHNs in leading adaptive strategies against climate-driven health risks.

Main Methods:

• An umbrella review methodology was employed.
• Systematic searches were conducted across major scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase).
• Inclusion criteria were applied to select relevant systematic review articles for analysis.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 18 selected reviews revealed four key themes.
• Themes included human activities driving disease emergence, global warming impacts (e.g., El Niño), pandemic risks from melting ice, and the essential role of CHNs.
• A significant link between climate change factors and vector-borne disease patterns was confirmed.

Conclusions:

• The Climate Change Adaptation Theory (CCAT) was developed, integrating health education principles.
• CCAT emphasizes the leadership of CHNs in educating communities for climate change adaptation.
• This framework aims to reduce the public health burden of vector-borne diseases in a changing climate.