Vector-Borne Diseases in the Middle East and North Africa Region and Their Link to Climate Change: A Narrative Review

Introduction: The prolonged droughts, hot weather, and temperature disturbances due to climate change have led to an increase in vector-borne diseases (VBDs), raising many public health issues. This narrative review aims to study the association between VBDs and climate change, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Methodology: Relevant articles from the last twenty years exploring the link between VBDs and climate change were reviewed using different databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus. Data from reputable organizations like the WHO and CDC was also analyzed to identify trends, significant findings, and interventions related to VBDs. This review covers prominent information about the association between climate change and VBDs from 70 credible, scientific sources with a focus on ticks, mosquitoes, house flies and sand flies. Results: Climate change impacts VBDs by increasing the geographic range and duration of transmission seasons for vectors. The vector agents discussed in this review include ticks, mosquitoes, house flies, and sand flies. The major VBDs affecting the MENA region were seen to be dengue, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, chikungunya, leishmaniasis, leptospirosis, Middle East respiratory syndrome, rabies, rift valley fever, West Nile fever, and yellow fever. This review highlights the importance of environment, travel and migration history, age, gender, and occupation as variables that control the prevalence, morbidity, and disability due to climate-induced VBDs. Conclusion: Changes in the distribution and seasonality of vectors are expected due to the influence of climate change, leading to an increase in the prevalence and transmission of VBDs in the MENA region. Targeted interventions need to be taken to overcome the research gap and to introduce preventive measures for VBDs in the future.