Climate change is driving a surge of infectious diseases in Brazil

Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is a present and accelerating driver of infectious diseases in Brazil. This year Brazil will host the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) and is the current chair of the Group of Twenty (G20), so the country is uniquely positioned to lead discussions on the intersection of climate and health. However, it must initially confront a sobering domestic reality as climate change is reshaping the seasonality, intensity, and geographical distribution of infectious diseases across the country.Brazil has been experiencing record breaking outbreaks of mosquito borne diseases.1 Dengue is the most stark example: more than 6.5 million cases and 6297 deaths were recorded in 2024.1 This was a year marked by El Niño, a phenomenon that raises temperatures and alters rainfall patterns, leading to increased reproduction and activity of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This increases the spread of dengue and consequently…