Climate Change and the Expanding Burden of Vector-Borne Diseases: Global and Indian Perspectives

Abstract

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are among the most serious and fast-changing threats to global public health, responsible for over 17% of infectious diseases worldwide and more than 700,000 deaths each year. In recent decades, climate change has become a key factor shaping the geographic range, transmission patterns, and severity of VBDs. Increasing temperatures, shifting rainfall, higher humidity, extreme weather, unplanned urban growth, land-use changes, and greater human movement together influence vector survival and reproduction, habitat availability, biting activity, pathogen development, and the frequency of human–vector interactions. Climate change has driven the resurgence and geographic expansion of major VBDs such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya, increasing their frequency and unpredictability. Warming has also enabled vectors like Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex mosquitoes, ticks, and sandflies to spread into new regions, exposing previously unaffected populations. Altered transmission seasons and increased vector competence further intensify disease burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with limited adaptive capacity and infrastructure. India represents a major hotspot due to its diverse climates, rapid urbanization, socio-economic disparities, and large vulnerable population. Rising dengue incidence, periodic malaria resurgence, and persistent VBD transmission are strongly linked to climate variability. Urban heat islands, monsoon variability, water storage practices, and land-use changes further amplify transmission risks. This review critically integrates existing evidence on the mechanistic connections between climate change and vector-borne diseases, emphasizing global trends and India-specific epidemiological patterns, particularly for dengue and malaria. It also examines future outlooks, pinpoints major research gaps, and outlines priority interventions. The review underscores the urgent need for climate-informed surveillance, predictive modeling, integrated vector control, stronger health systems, advances in vaccine and antiviral development, and community-led prevention approaches.