Nicosia: 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 highlighted how rising temperatures, environmental pressures, changing ecosystems, intensified travel, and demographic shifts are altering the behaviour and geographical distribution of vector-borne diseases.
According to Cyprus News Agency, diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and West Nile virus 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 emphasized that mosquito-borne diseases exemplify how climate change is affecting human health, urging for a broader public health approach based on prevention, sustainability, and the One Health principle, which links human, animal, and environmental health.
Charalambides noted that Cyprus, situated at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, faces several climate-sensitive public health challenges due to its geographical and climatic conditions. This situation strengthens the country's commitment to preparedness, regional cooperation, and a more resilient European Health Union. He stressed that preparedness must be built in advance through surveillance systems, research networks, public health infrastructure, and policymaking, rather than waiting for an outbreak to occur.
Investment in early warning systems, laboratory and diagnostic capacity, vector surveillance, predictive modelling, and environmentally responsible mosquito-control strategies based on scientific evidence is crucial, he added. Charalambides also noted 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. Such threats transcend borders, and no member state can address them in isolation.
Ole Heuer, representing the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), stated that Europe is facing 'a new reality' in the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases. Heuer warned that while the current burden of mosquito-borne diseases in Europe remains manageable, the potential scale of the crisis is enormous. Geography is no longer a protective factor, he said, noting the increasing burden in southern Europe as temperatures rise.
Heuer attributed the main drivers to climate change, globalization, and ecological shifts, affecting large parts of the EU with vectors such as Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. Structural and operational challenges, including the limited number of approved biocides, increasing insecticide resistance, evidence gaps on control measures effectiveness, and discrepancies in European countries' response capacities were also highlighted.
Accurate, high-quality surveillance is essential, Heuer stressed, as public health action 'starts and ends with surveillance.' He called for stronger vector-control knowledge, better tools, predictive modelling, and science-based communication, emphasizing the need for public awareness and community participation through evidence-based messages. The conference will continue to discuss epidemiology, surveillance, mosquito-control methods, preparedness, modelling, and communication, with participation from experts and representatives from EU institutions and member states.