Climate change is unleashing a tsunami of infectious diseases–and we have fewer and fewer drugs that can treat them

Climate change is not only making the planet sick–it is creating a hotbed for infectious diseases and superbugs to thrive and putting the health and lives of millions around the world at risk. Critically, extreme temperatures and air pollution are exacerbating viral respiratory infections and mosquito-borne diseases, one of which is likely to seed the next epidemic or pandemic.

Given the link between climate and health, the pharmaceutical industry has a unique responsibility to act, not only to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions but also to combat the adverse health consequences of the climate emergency. However, most of the climate action we are seeing from the pharmaceutical industry focuses on environmental measures aimed at preventing climate change from worsening. Beyond preventing it from escalating, pharmaceutical companies also need to treat the existing effects of climate change on human health–especially the superbugs and infectious diseases that are already running rampant.

Currently, nearly two-thirds of pathogenic diseases that affect humans are being spurred by rising temperatures and climate hazards. Increased floods, cyclones, and droughts limit access to clean water, creating ideal conditions for diseases such as cholera to thrive. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 44 countries reported cholera cases, up 25% from 2021–and this trend has continued in 2023.

Read the full op-ed on the Fortune website.