(Source: CGIAR)
From the newsletter
Satellite technology looks like it can enable a breakthrough in tracking climate-related health risks and guide disease surveillance in Africa. Apart from tracking diseases directly, satellite data tracks environmental changes that drive disease and disaster risk. This can help predict disease outbreaks and plan emergency responses.
According to a new study led by Dr Dhritiraj Sengupta, satellite imagery is currently used to monitor air pollution, track dengue fever, cholera outbreaks and map areas vulnerable to floods and heatwaves.
The use of satellite and environmental data in health research has expanded from just two studies in 1991 to 266 in 2024. With proper investment, the information is invaluable in supporting public health decision-making.
More details
The review analysed more than 30 years of research and identified 22 data platforms combining environmental and health. In total, the team examined 1,751 publications and mapped the growing number of platforms linking EO and health information.
These platforms range from systems that monitor pollution and climate exposure to tools that combine weather and vegetation data for disease forecasting. They show how environmental shifts like warmer temperatures, heavier rainfall, drought or other environmental disasters can change where mosquitoes breed, how pathogens spread, vulnerability status of people and which communities face the highest risk.
The review also found that despite this progress, the surveillance needs harmonisation. Data is often stored in different formats or kept within technical institutions, limiting access for health workers and planners. Strengthening cooperation between satellite experts and health agencies would make the data more useful for daily decision-making.
Co-author Prof Shubha Sathyendranath said satellite data’s strength lies in its reach and consistency. Continuous observation from space can show how health-related conditions evolve across regions and over time, something ground surveys cannot easily achieve.
The study highlights that Earth Observation offers a cost-effective way to monitor large areas and fill data gaps, especially where health and climate records are scarce. But success depends on ensuring open data access and recognising satellite evidence in public health planning.
As climate change continues to affect disease patterns, researchers say the use of EO data will be increasingly important for early warning and preparedness. With better coordination and investment, these technologies could help health authorities anticipate risks before they become crises and build more resilient systems for a warming world.
Our take
Satellite imagery can only help if health partners make environmental data part of public health infrastructure.
Most of the time, satellite data sits in research institutions. Integrating these insights into national health systems would turn environmental data into practical intelligence.