Centre for research into climate change and infectious diseases in Latin America established

The Hamburg-based Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) and the Costa Rican Institute for Research and Education in Nutrition and Health (INCIENSA) are joining forces in a new partnership. Together, the two institutions are addressing the pressing question of how climate change is favouring the spread of infectious diseases and what we can do about it. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is providing 750,000 euros in funding over the next five years to establish the German-Costa Rican Centre for Climate Adaptation and Infectious Diseases (GC-ADAPT).

Colourful graphic with a map of Costa Rica and the different climate zones

©Ministerio del Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones (MINAE) | Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN)

For years, researchers have observed that climate change not only alters temperatures and precipitation, but also influences the spread of pathogens and their vectors. The new centre aims to understand these processes of change. It will investigate why some infections are becoming more common, while others are spreading to new regions. At the same time, climate change could favour the development of antibiotic resistance.

BNITM Chairman Prof. Jürgen May, INCIENSA Director Dr Lissette Navas Alvarado and GC-ADAPT head Dr Andrea Molina Alvarado are planning a unique research structure in Latin America - with sites in Germany and Costa Rica.

The new centre will study the influence of temperature, light and humidity on pathogens and disease vectors, and what happens when these environmental factors change and extreme weather events become more frequent. It will also study animal- and food-borne bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance. The aim is to identify risks at an early stage and develop strategies to minimise their impact.

The focus will be on practical solutions: how can vulnerable regions be better prepared? What measures can be taken to reduce health risks? The aim is also to develop early warning systems to detect and report signs of increased risk of disease. The close cooperation between researchers from Germany and Costa Rica will result in approaches that could be of importance far beyond Latin America.

Portrait photo of Prof. Dr Jürgen May, an experienced, friendly-looking researcher — Prof. Dr Jürgen May ©BNITM | Dino Schachten

‘With GC-ADAPT, we are sending an important signal: climate change and infectious diseases must be considered together,’ says Prof. Jürgen May, Chairman of the Board of the BNITM. ’This partnership is intended to create an international cooperation on an equal footing to jointly seek solutions to global problems.’

The Director General of INCIENSA, Dr Lissette Navas Alvarado: ‘Climate change and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens are very relevant public health issues. The German-Costa Rican Centre for Climate Adaptation and Infectious Diseases is a great opportunity to better understand the mechanisms by which pathogens adapt to climate change and their impact on health.’

‘Costa Rica combines diverse climate zones with an efficient disease surveillance system. This makes the country an ideal location to study the effects of climate change on infectious diseases,’ adds the centre's head Dr Andrea Molina Alvarado from the Department of Infection Epidemiology at BNITM. ‘The combination of the country's manageable size and a close-knit surveillance network makes it possible to investigate the links between changing weather patterns, the dynamics of infectious diseases and their public health significance.’

Das Foto zeigt Dr. Andrea Molina Alvarado, eine Forscherin mit langen dunklen Haaren und dunkelblauem Pullover. Sie schaut freundlich in die Kamera. — Dr Andrea Molina Alvarado Dr Andrea Molina Alvarado

About the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)

The BNITM is Germany's largest institution for research, care and teaching in the field of tropical and emerging infectious diseases. Current thematic priorities are malaria, haemorrhagic fever viruses, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), immunology, epidemiology and the clinic of tropical infections, as well as the mechanisms of virus transmission by mosquitoes. The institute has laboratories of the highest biosafety level (BSL4) and a biosafety insectary (BSL3) for handling highly pathogenic viruses and infected insects. In numerous countries of the Global South, the BNITM supports the development of (mobile) laboratory capacities.

About the Instituto Costarricense de Investigación y Educación en Nutrición y Salud (INCIENSA)

INCIENSA is the national institute for public health in Cartagena, Costa Rica, and is under the authority of the Costa Rican Ministry of Health. It monitors epidemiological developments with the support of laboratories, conducts research on key public health issues and promotes health education. In addition, INCIENSA supports the ministry in protecting and improving the health of the population by conducting laboratory analyses in accordance with the applicable regulations. With its eight national reference centres, INCIENSA coordinates the monitoring of microbial pathogens and other health-related events in the country.