Monique Brown, Gleaner/Power 106 Reporter

The Director of health promotion and protection in the health ministry, Dr Eva Lewis-Fuller, says vector-borne diseases could increase as a result of the impact of climate change.

Vector-borne diseases are transmitted to humans or other animals by an insect or arthropod.

According to Lewis-Fuller, a temperature rise across the region is stimulating the spread of dengue and yellow fever as well as other life-threatening diseases.

"We will be at risk for infectious diseases," the health official said yesterday while speaking on 'Independent Talk', on Power 106 FM.

"Climate change with an increased temperature will increase the density of the disease-spreading mosquitoes by reducing the length of their life cycle and allowing them to breed much faster."

Dengue danger

Lewis-Fuller says the Ministry of Health will be intensifying its efforts to control the resurgence of dengue and yellow fever, which have been plaguing Latin America and the Caribbean.

Last week, the health and environment minister, Rudyard Spencer, reported that cases of dengue have been declining in Jamaica.

However, there has been a recent outbreak of the disease in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which has killed 49 people.

Meanwhile, the Pan American Health Organisation representative in Jamaica, Dr Ernest Pate, says the region is likely to see an increase in the number of deaths caused by asthma attacks because of climate change.

He also says food production will be affected by changes in the rainfall pattern.

"When the fundamental determinants of health; food air and water are affected we will see significant changes in our disease patterns which will impact more on our vulnerable population," said Dr. Pate.

Both Dr. Lewis-Fuller and Dr. Pate are recommending that more attention be paid to educating the public on the effects of climate change and how to prevent an increase of infectious diseases.