The Role of Climate and Environmental Factors in Spread of Infectious Diseases in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Saudi Arabia's unique geographical position and diverse climate zones create a complex interplay between environmental factors and infectious disease transmission patterns. The Kingdom includes huge deserts, coastal regions, along with the red sea and the Arabian Gulf, mountainous terrains in the southwest, and the fast-growing urban centers, all of which have different epidemiological issues. Climate change has made such environmental pressures more intense in the form of rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and an escalation in the occurrence of extreme weather events among others; these factors are already bringing significant adverse changes in the health of the population. The connection between climate and infectious diseases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is multidimensional and includes such phenomena as the diseases transmitted by the vectors and preferring particular temperature and humidity rates, respiratory infections caused by the frequent sandstorms as well as water borne diseases related to the water scarcity and poor quality. An additional dimension is given by the fact that the Kingdom is a host of millions of people who perform Hajj and Umrah each year, including during extreme heat conditions, which poses a unique pattern of disease transmission.