Examining the effects of climate and environmental hazards on vector and water-borne diseases in Eastern Uganda.

Abstract

Background: Environmental hazards like floods, droughts and landslides pose serious public health and wellbeing consequences for populations, especially vulnerable communities in countries with low adaptive capacity. Empirical evidence from peer-reviewed literature and official climate change assessments indicates that, alongside high interannual climate variability, Uganda has experienced observable climate change over the past 50 years. This changing and increasingly variable climate poses challenges to population health in diverse ways, including through the transmission of infectious diseases. This study explored local perceptions of the impact of climate variability and change on the prevalence of infectious diseases like typhoid fever, malaria, and diarrhoeal diseases in three districts: Amudat, Bududa, and Katakwi in Eastern Uganda. Relatively few integrated and empirical studies have been conducted in Uganda to assess the specific climate-related health risks faced by local communities.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 341 respondents was conducted to collect data from households. Data were collected using Kobo software, exported, cleaned and analysed with SPSS 28.0.

Results: Populations in the three study districts perceived drought, floods, and landslides as significant hazards, though with varying levels of exposure, frequency, and severity. Strong associations were found between environmental hazards and occurrences of infectious diseases. Floods, significantly increased the reported prevalence of malaria (Chi-Square = 12.901, p < 0.005), typhoid fever (Chi-Square = 14.215, p < 0.003), and diarrhoeal diseases (Chi-Square = 8.407, p < 0.038). Similarly, drought severity is significantly associated with higher rates of diarrhoeal diseases (Chi-Square = 14.548, p < 0.002), whereas no significant associations were observed for malaria (Chi-Square = 4.182, p > 0.242) or typhoid fever (Chi-Square = 4.739, p > 0.192). Landslides were significantly associated with diarrheal diseases (Chi-Square = 7.846, p < 0.049), but not with malaria (Chi-Square = 2.603, p > 0.457) or typhoid fever (Chi-Square = 3.277, p > 0.351). Most respondents experienced the negative interactive effects of multiple environmental hazards on their health status. The increased prevalence of diarrhea was attributable to floods, drought, and landslides; cases of typhoid fever were increased by floods rather than by drought or landslides. Malaria was more influenced by floods.

Conclusion: Environmental hazards affected population health in the three districts by increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea, during severe droughts and landslides. Floods exacerbated waterborne and vector-borne diseases by creating ideal conditions for mosquito breeding and water contamination. There is an urgent need for multihazard-targeted interventions, including improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (e.g., regular handwashing with soap, safe water access and use, boiling water, proper sanitation, community WASH sensitization supported by local public health outreach), as well as disaster preparedness strategies, to reduce the health burdens of environmental hazards and enhance community resilience in these regions.