Mapping climate-induced dengue proliferation zones in Kerala for targeted health interventions

Despite a reduction in communicable diseases and a transition to non-communicable diseases, Kerala has found it challenging to control vector-borne diseases such as dengue in particular, which indicates a critical gap in the current health service system, despite high quality infrastructure in the state. Recent data also show that dengue-related deaths have increased in the state, and there was a 132 percent increase in the total case load in early 2023 compared to 2022 at the same time. Climate change and its links with the rise of vector-borne diseases is under-studied, and is absent from health policies in status quo. The researchers aim to delineate this relationship through a study in Alappuzha district, where researchers will aim to utilize existing administrative health records and climate data from the District Medical Office (DMO) and climate data from the Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram and the Indian Meteorological Department, to identify climate-induced dengue proliferation zones. The researchers will use a combination of temperature variability, precipitation trends, and relative humidity indices to unpack this relationship. Based on this study, the researchers hope to design climate-responsive interventions to be tested through randomized evaluations.