CSID Network

Climate change, an indisputable and stark reality of our time, impacts human health. The term “Climate Sensitive Infectious Disease” (CSID) is used to describe infectious diseases whose transmission and spread are directly influenced by changes and variations in climate and weather. In response to growing awareness about CSID as well as advances in technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, there has been an expansion of digital tools, such as climate-informed early-warning systems, to better understand and predict the impact of near-term and long-term shifts in climate on disease transmission. If implemented well, such tools have the potential to support governments, grassroots organizations, and individuals to proactively respond. However, to date, these tools and related practices have been unequally distributed, disconnected, and primarily developed and directed by those based outside of regions most affected by CSID. Thus, the CSID Network looks to both connect a global community of actors contributing towards impactful CSID software tools and establish localized CSID communities that can link existing on-the-ground issues and initiatives to the development and maintenance of CSID tools. Through a fellowship program, annual community gatherings, and a community-led federated working group model, CSID Network seeks to foster a diverse and inclusive community of practice around CSID open-source software tools. Membership is open to all who wish to contribute.