Communicable E16: Climate change and infections – effects on clinical practice & infection-control efforts

The topic of climate change can engender a ‘doom and gloom’ narrative, as many climate and health consequences are already manifesting. Our host, Dr. Navaneeth Narayanan is joined by two ID physicians passionate about climate change and sustainable clinical practice, Dr. Shreya Doshi (Washington DC, US) and Dr. Laura Jung (Leipzig, Germany). Together they discuss new trends in infectious diseases observed in clinical practice as a direct consequence of climate change, including how tropical diseases are not so tropical anymore. They also outline ways individual clinicians and hospitals can be more sustainable and offer additional resources for the listeners (see below).  

This episode was edited by Kathryn Hostettler and peer reviewed by Dr. Loora Grünvald of the University of Tartu, Estonia. 

Literature

• Mora C et al. Nat Clim Chang (2022). doi: 10.1038/s41558-022-01426-1
• Doshi S et al. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc (2023). doi: 10.1093/jpids/piae029
• Hofmeister RJ et al. OFID (2024). doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofae368 
• Judson SD et al. OFID (2024). doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofae691
• Jung L et al. Lancet Planet Health (2023). 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00253-4
• UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance 2024 https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2024/09/26/default-calendar/un-general-assembly-high-level-meeting-on-antimicrobial-resistance-2024 

 Additional resources

• Lancet countdown on health and climate change  https://www.thelancet.com/countdown-health-climate
• Medicine for a changing planet https://www.medicineforachangingplanet.org/
• Rx for climate https://www.rxforclimate.org/