Our health is threatened by climate change. Malaria, asthma, encephalitis, tuberculosis, leprosy, dengue fever and measles are all expected to become more common.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) there are already 110 million cases of malaria and up to 2 million deaths from it worldwide each year. Increases in temperatures are creating ideal mosquito-breeding conditions in new regions, including the USA, Australia, UK, Bangladesh, China and Egypt.

November 1991:

• Australian health officials found a four-fold increase in malaria cases since 1970. They believe hotter summer temperatures may be contributing to the increase.

July 1991:

• Asian tiger mosquitoes, transmitter of the fatal brain disease eastern equine encephalitis, are reported in 24 US states. Researchers suggest that they may spread rapidly in a global warming world.

December 1992:
• A UK government report suggests that malaria and other tropical diseases, and even bubonic plague, could be reintroduced to the UK as a result of global warming. There has been a substantial increase in brown rat populations, which spread diseases, after recent mild winters.