Health experts at the Cop30 climate summit have issued a stark warning: the climate crisis is accelerating a dangerous surge in infectious diseases across South America, with yellow fever and dengue cases reaching alarming new heights.
Unprecedented Outbreaks Sweep South America
According to Pan American Health Organization figures, South America has recorded 356 cases of yellow fever and 152 deaths so far this year, primarily concentrated in the Amazon region. This represents one of the worst outbreaks since 1960, surpassed only by a major spike during 2017-2018.
The yellow fever surge follows Brazil's devastating dengue outbreak in 2024, where health authorities reported nearly 6.5 million cases and approximately 5,000 deaths. Meanwhile, Europe experienced its own startling record with 304 dengue cases reported last year - more than the total from the previous fifteen years combined.
Climate Connection Fuels Disease Spread
Both diseases are transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, which thrive in warm conditions and stagnant water. Scientists have determined that the climate crisis exacerbates approximately half of all known human pathogenic diseases as rising temperatures and intensified rainfall create ideal breeding conditions.
Simon Stiell, the UN's climate chief, emphasised the severity of the situation: "Across the world, people are living the daily reality that the climate crisis is also a public health crisis. Rising temperatures, floods, droughts, and storms are claiming lives, fueling diseases and malnutrition."
Global Response and Action Plan
The UN designated a special "health day" at the Cop30 summit in Belém, Brazil, launching the Belém Health Action Plan to help countries combat climate-fueled health emergencies. A coalition of 35 philanthropic organisations has pledged $300 million in funding for the initiative.
Maria Guevara of Médecins Sans Frontières highlighted the adaptation challenge: "Whether it's bacteria or viruses, they transmit, they're just smarter than humans in that case because they're more adapted. We know what we need to do about climate change, but we're not doing anything."
Rachel Vicente from Brazil's Federal University of Espírito Santo described the perfect storm of conditions: "We've had huge outbreaks of dengue and increased yellow fever because of lots of rain and high temperatures, which makes mosquitoes bite more. People are living near more breeding sites, especially in urban areas."
The situation underscores the urgent need for global collaboration on health resilience as climate-driven disease patterns continue to evolve and expand into new regions.
