Climate change is predicted to have profound implications on human health. Environmental change will increase the range and populations affected by the spread of vector-borne diseases. As global temperatures are expected to continue rising due to changing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, geographic areas are expected to experience changes in climate; more rainfall or drought, higher or cooler temperatures. In turn, these changes will directly influence where vector-borne diseases are spread and their transmissibility.

Vector-borne diseases are of particular concern as the insect vectors tend to thrive at higher temperatures and depend on water sources to breed. The consequences and burden of disease on human populations depend on many factors and thus predicating models are forced to make many assumptions. For example, the mosquito vector which transmits malaria needs high temperatures (greater than 16 degrees C) and an abundance of water. Thus, epidemics of malaria increase in the tropics during the rainy seasons. However, the mosquito vector responsible for West Nile produces epidemics during times of drought due to its method of transmission.

The general trends suggest that climate change will increase the incidence of vector-borne diseases globally as the range of the vectors increase.  

The distribution of mortality due to major vector-borne diseases in different (World Health Organization) WHO regions.

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