Review
Climate change, human migration, and skin disease: is there a link?
Johannes F. Dayrit MD,
Audi Sugiharto MD,
Sarah J. Coates MD,
Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III MD, PhD,
Mark Denis D. Davis MD,
Louise K. Andersen MD,
Corresponding Author
Johannes F. Dayrit MD
De La Salle University Medical and Health Sciences Institute, Dasmarinas City, Philippines
Department of Dermatology, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines
Correspondence
Johannes F. Dayrit, md
Department of Dermatology
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
Alabang, Muntinlupa City 4118
Philippines
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAudi Sugiharto MD
Department of Dermatology, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines
Search for more papers by this authorSarah J. Coates MD
Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorDon Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III MD, PhD
Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorMark Denis D. Davis MD
Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Search for more papers by this authorLouise K. Andersen MD
Department of Dermatology, Aleris-Hamlet Private Hospitals, Esbjerg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorJohannes F. Dayrit MD,
Audi Sugiharto MD,
Sarah J. Coates MD,
Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III MD, PhD,
Mark Denis D. Davis MD,
Louise K. Andersen MD,
Corresponding Author
Johannes F. Dayrit MD
De La Salle University Medical and Health Sciences Institute, Dasmarinas City, Philippines
Department of Dermatology, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines
Correspondence
Johannes F. Dayrit, md
Department of Dermatology
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine
Alabang, Muntinlupa City 4118
Philippines
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorAudi Sugiharto MD
Department of Dermatology, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines
Search for more papers by this authorSarah J. Coates MD
Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Search for more papers by this authorDon Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III MD, PhD
Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorMark Denis D. Davis MD
Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
Search for more papers by this authorLouise K. Andersen MD
Department of Dermatology, Aleris-Hamlet Private Hospitals, Esbjerg, Denmark
Search for more papers by this authorConflict of interest: None.
Funding source: National Cancer Institute, Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health; D43TW009343, University of California Global Health Institute
Abstract
Climate change, exemplified by higher average global temperatures resulting in more frequent extreme weather events, has the potential to significantly impact human migration patterns and health. The consequences of environmental catastrophes further destabilize regions with pre-existing states of conflict due to social, political, and/or economic unrest. Migrants may carry diseases from their place of origin to their destinations and once there may be susceptible to diseases in which they had not been previously exposed to. Skin diseases are among the most commonly observed health conditions observed in migrant populations. To improve awareness among dermatologists of the burden of skin diseases among migrants, the group searched the English language scientific literature to identify articles linking climate change, migration, and skin disease. Skin diseases associated with human migration fall into three major categories: (i) communicable diseases, (ii) noncommunicable diseases, and (iii) environmentally mediated diseases. Adopting comprehensive global strategies to improve the health of migrants requires urgent attention.
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