It is an estimation of the current (as of 2000) existing rate of annual deaths reasonably attributable to climate change, albeit from a limited subset of climate - related health impacts: malaria due to an increase in the geographic range of disease - bearing mosquitoes, malnutrition associated with loss of agricultural productivity, water -
borne diarrheal diseases, and deaths from flooding, McMichael says.
There has been extensive research concerning the effects of climate change on water - and food -
borne disease transmission.86, 87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96 The current evidence base strongly supports waterborne
diarrheal disease being both seasonal and sensitive to climate variability.