Climate change and the rise of infectious diseases : an Arctic perspective

Animals that carry infectious microorganisms are migrating towards the North with climatechange transitions of Arctic landscapes into warmer biomes. This threatens to change societal exposure to infectious diseases and affect the OneHealth status of Arctic cultures. OneHealth takes a multidisciplinary approach to health risks and risk mitigation for humans, animals, plants and the environment with the understanding that human health and welfare is dependent on ecosystem health. At the CLINF Nordic Center of Excellence, Birgitta Evengard, Tomas Thierfelder, Svenja Stoven, and scientists from eight nations recently collaborated to predict the effects of climate change on the epidemiology of climate-sensitive infections. With a focus on international collaboration and harnessing traditional knowledge, CLINF (Climate-change effects on the epidemiology of infectious diseases and the impacts on Northern societies) supports evidence-based policy aimed at preventing or mitigating this most serious of global challenges.