KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must strengthen climate resilience through risk assessments, improved mitigation and adaptation strategies, says Prof Dr Rozita Hod.
The head of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s (UKM) Department of Public Health said the health sector must build capacity while collaborative efforts in research, policy and environmental management are urgently needed to ensure sustained action against climate impacts.
She noted that shifting weather patterns are accelerating the spread of dengue, malaria and leptospirosis.
Although the Health Ministry has done a lot, climate change could have an impactful role as rainfall no longer follows the “old” seasonal patterns, she said.
“In the past, it rained in December. Now, sometimes it rains even in May.
“So, when it rains, it floods,” she said during her inaugural lecture titled “Climate Change and Its Impact on Human Health: Transmission of Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases” recently.
Dr Rozita said poor community attitudes towards waste disposal worsen the problem.
“When people discard polystyrene containers and empty cans, trapped rainwater turns these items into ideal mosquito breeding grounds.”
Dr Rozita also highlighted the growing risk of zoonotic diseases, which jump from animals to humans, as deforestation and habitat loss force wildlife closer to human settlements.
She cited malaria as an example, linking outbreaks to forest farming activities that bring humans into contact with monkeys carrying malaria parasites.
“When we cut down trees and forests, the monkeys have to look for food in the human area.
“So, there’s an outbreak where the disease can spread,” she added.
Leptospirosis follows a similar pathway, with wildlife drawn to rubbish dumped in recreational forests, subsequently contaminating natural water sources with bacteria.
“Leptospirosis bacteria can enter human bodies through open wounds,” she explained, stressing that mitigating such risks requires a unified “One Health” approach spanning medical, veterinary, and environmental sectors.
“We have to collaborate with other experts, such as environmental scientists, animal experts, as well as food experts. We need a holistic approach,” she said.
Taking rabies as an example, she said vaccinating dogs rather than culling them helps maintain ecological balance while protecting humans.
“We don’t know if a new virus is also possible,” she said.
