Mosquito-borne diseases once considered distant are increasingly becoming part of Europe’s public health reality, Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides said on Wednesday, opening a conference in Nicosia on diseases transmitted by mosquito vectors.
Addressing the conference at the Filoxenia Conference Centre, organised in the framework of the Cyprus EU Council Presidency, Charalambides said rising temperatures, environmental pressures, changing ecosystems, intensified travel and demographic shifts were altering the behaviour and geographical distribution of vector-borne diseases.
Diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika and West Nile virus, he said, are no longer ‘theoretical concerns confined to other regions, but signals of a changing climate and epidemiological environment that requires vigilance, preparedness and cooperation.’
The Minister said mosquito-borne diseases are one of the clearest examples of how climate change is affecting human health, adding that public health in the 21st century requires a broader approach based on prevention, sustainability and the One Health principle, linking human, animal and environmental health.
He noted that Cyprus, due to its geographical position at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and its climatic conditions, is at the frontline of several climate-sensitive public health challenges. This, he said, strengthens the country’s commitment to preparedness, regional cooperation and a more resilient European Health Union.
Preparedness, Charalambides said, cannot begin when an outbreak occurs, but must be built in advance through surveillance systems, research networks, public health infrastructure and policy making.
He referred to the need for investment in early warning systems, laboratory and diagnostic capacity, vector surveillance, predictive modelling and environmentally responsible mosquito-control strategies based on scientific evidence.
The Minister of Health also said that mosquito-borne diseases are a strategic European challenge, affecting not only health security but also economic resilience, tourism, agriculture, infrastructure and social well-being. Since such threats do not respect borders, he added, no member state can address them in isolation.
He said the discussions at the conference were ultimately about protecting lives, safeguarding vulnerable groups and ensuring that health systems remain resilient in the face of emerging threats.
Ole Heuer, representing the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), said Europe is facing ‘a new reality’ in the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases, with the challenge moving at a pace that requires early action.
He said the current burden of mosquito-borne disease in Europe remains manageable, but warned that the potential scale of the crisis is enormous.
‘Geography is no longer a protective factor,’ he said, noting that northern Europe is not immune and that the burden in southern Europe is rising quickly as temperatures continue to increase.
Heuer said the main drivers are climate change, globalisation and ecological shifts, adding that large parts of the EU are already affected by the further spread of vectors, including Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti.
He also pointed to structural and operational challenges, including the limited number of approved biocides, increasing insecticide resistance, evidence gaps on the effectiveness of control measures and differences between European countries in their capacity to respond.
Heuer said accurate, high-quality surveillance is essential, as public health action ‘starts and ends with surveillance’. He added that stronger vector-control knowledge, better tools, predictive modelling and science-based communication are also needed.
Communication, he noted, is important because much of the response depends on behavioural change, which requires public awareness, community participation and evidence-based messages.
He stressed that the issue cannot be addressed by individual countries alone and called for a coordinated European approach, more investment in innovation and evidence, and stronger cooperation between the human health, veterinary and environmental sectors.
The conference will discuss epidemiology, surveillance, mosquito-control methods, preparedness, modelling and communication, with the participation of experts and representatives from EU institutions and member states.