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Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal A scoping review on climate change and tuberculosis

Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal

Maharjan B, Gopali RS, Zhang Y
2021
International Journal of Biometeorology. 65 (10): 1579-1595

Climate change is a global public health challenge. The changes in climatic factors affect the pattern and burden of tuberculosis, which is a worldwide public health problem affecting low and middle-income countries. However, the evidence related to the impact of climate change on tuberculosis is few and far between. This study is a scoping review following a five-stage version of Arksey and O'Malley's method. We searched the literature using the keywords and their combination in Google scholar, and PubMed. Climate change affects tuberculosis through diverse pathways: changes in climatic factors like temperature, humidity, and precipitation influence host response through alterations in vitamin D distribution, ultraviolet radiation, malnutrition, and other risk factors. The rise in extreme climatic events induces population displacement resulting in a greater number of vulnerable and risk populations of tuberculosis. It creates a conducive environment of tuberculosis transmission and development of active tuberculosis and disrupts tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services. Therefore, it stands to reasons that climate change affects tuberculosis, particularly in highly vulnerable countries and areas. However, further studies and novel methodologies are required to address such a complex relationship and better understand the occurrence of tuberculosis attributable to climate change.

Expand Abstract

Resource Description

    General Exposure, Seasonality
    Global or Unspecified Location
    Infectious Disease, Malnutrition
    • Infectious Disease, Malnutrition: Airborne Disease
      • Airborne Disease: Tuberculosis
      Airborne Disease
    Review Article
    Vulnerable Population
    • Vulnerable Population: General Vulnerable Populations, Gender
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