GC-ADAPT

Head and Contact: Dr Andrea Molina Alvarado, co-PI Prof. Dr Jürgen May

Team Germany: Dr Eva Lorenz, M.Sc. Jonathan Ströbele, M.Sc. Juliane Boenecke, Dr Denise Dekker

Team Costa Rica / INCIENSA: M.Sc. Lissette Navas Alvarado, Dr Anamariela Tijerino Ayala, M.Sc. Francisco Duarte, M.Sc. Grettel Chanto Chacón, Gletty Oropeza Barrios

More than half of known infectious diseases are climate-sensitive and can become more prevalent due to the effects of climate change, particularly rising temperatures, changes in humidity, droughts and floods. In addition, an increase in ambient temperature can lead to an increased risk of the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. According to the WHO, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now one of the greatest global threats to humans, alongside climate change. Climate-sensitive infectious diseases and AMR must therefore be considered in the context of climate change. Understanding (and monitoring) the effect of climate change in infectious diseases and AMR is therefore a key part of climate change adaptation - but it is only just beginning in practice.

The main objective of the German-Costa Rican Centre for Climate Adaptation and Infectious Diseases GC-ADAPT is to establish a long-term, sustainable, international and interdisciplinary structure for research on infectious diseases under different climatic conditions as an adaptation measure to the climate change. The integration of climate data into surveillance and research on climate-sensitive infectious diseases and AMR will play a central role in this research structure; risk and climate analyses for infectious diseases will be carry on in order to develop prevention and adaptation plans in the climate change context. 

The new research partner structure between BNITM in Germany and Inciensa (Instituto Costarricense de Investigación y Educación en Nutrición y Salud) in Costa Rica will enable research under a range of tropical climatic conditions and will initially focus on infectious diseases of bacterial origin transmitted through animals (zoonoses) and food (and water), as well as antimicrobial resistance. This research structure will be the first of its kind in Latin America. 

The planned research topics to be addressed under GC-ADAPT include: