Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Drought, extreme heat are driving Valley fever's rise in California

Coccidioidomycosis—also known as Valley fever—is an infectious disease that is taking an increasing toll on the health of Californians and people living throughout the Southwest. In a study published today in The Lancet ...

Pediatrics

Study: Drought linked to higher diarrhea risk in children

Diarrhea is a leading killer of young children around the world, and cases often rise after heavy rains and flooding. But diarrhea risks can also increase in dry conditions, an ominous sign as the world continues to get warmer ...

HIV & AIDS

Climate change reduces HIV treatment adherence in Africa

Droughts caused by climate change can have an impact on HIV treatment, according to a new study led by researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) and the University of ...

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Drought

A drought (or drouth [archaic]) is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region. Although droughts can persist for several years, even a short, intense drought can cause significant damage and harm the local economy.

This global phenomenon has a widespread impact on agriculture. The United Nations estimates that an area of fertile soil the size of Ukraine is lost every year because of drought, deforestation, and climate instability. Lengthy periods of drought have long been a key trigger for mass migration and played a key role in a number of ongoing migrations and other humanitarian crises in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel.

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