The term "Climate Change" is currently part of our everyday vocabulary due to its significant and sustained impact on our daily lives. While we are aware of its implications for nature, we often overlook its consequences on our health.

To begin, we must define what climate change is. According to the UN, "climate change refers to long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns," with human activity since the 19th century being the primary driver of this phenomenon, which had previously been caused by natural factors such as volcanic eruptions.

Among the primary consequences of climate change, and perhaps the most palpable, are alterations in average temperatures, different precipitation patterns, and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

It is due to these changing climatic conditions that we can begin to establish connections between the increase in certain diseases and ailments and the exponential rise of climate change. Firstly, there are vector-borne diseases (infectious agents necessary for the transmission of the disease to humans). These include malaria, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. The proliferation of these diseases in previously uncommon areas is primarily due to rising temperatures and intense precipitation, which create ideal conditions for the reproduction of mosquitoes such as Anopheles (vectors for malaria) and Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (vectors for dengue, Zika, and chikungunya). Furthermore, global temperature increases allow habitats to develop in areas that were previously too cold for mosquito reproduction.

Currently, there is a growing concern about dengue transmission in Europe. With the upcoming Paris Olympic Games (2024), there has been an increase in cases among individuals who have not traveled to countries where dengue is endemic, indicating local transmission by mosquitoes now present in areas of Italy, Spain, and France.

According to Camprubí, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), commenting on the international resurgence of dengue: "The numbers are dramatic and stem from various factors, such as increased international mobility after COVID-19 and climate change making the mosquito that transmits dengue adapt to areas where it did not previously exist."

Vector-borne diseases are not the only ones favored by the climate crisis; water-related diseases such as cholera and diarrheal diseases are also affected, mainly due to flooding and rising sea levels that can contaminate drinking water sources. Respiratory diseases have also seen a rise in cases. Asthma, allergies, and chronic diseases like COPDare exacerbated by increased carbon dioxide levels and wildfires. Perhaps more concerning are dehydration and malnutrition, as diminished crops and increasingly frequent and intense heat waves increase the risks of heatstroke and dehydration among the population and wildlife.

A study published during the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) includes alarming data in its report, such as "more than ten million people died due to major droughts during the last century, causing economic losses of several hundred billion dollars worldwide," with no signs of decreasing. It also notes that "Africa is the continent most affected by droughts, with over 300 events recorded in the last hundred years, representing 44% of the global total." Europe is not exempt, as "today, drought affects an annual average of 15% of land area and 17% of the population of the European Union." (Source: UN public website).

What about mental health and climate change? Stress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by natural disasters that destroy entire populations force organized forced displacements, compounded by uncertainty about an uncertain future.

Climate change is a global issue that concerns us all, as its effects impact everyone on this planet in one way or another