Climate change’s escalating impact is reshaping the infectious disease landscape in pervasive and profound ways. Rising temperatures are expanding the reach of disease-carrying vectors, spreading infections such as malaria, dengue fever and Lyme disease to new regions. For example, the number of months suitable for malaria transmission increased by 31.3% in highland areas of the Americas and 13.8% in Africa between 1951 and 2021. In the 1970s, nine countries were experiencing severe epidemics of Dengue fever. Today, this has increased to over 120 countries, far beyond tropical and sub-tropical regions. Extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, disrupt sanitation and healthcare infrastructure, creating fertile ground for waterborne illnesses like cholera and typhoid. Health systems around the world are being disrupted – and need to adapt urgently.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how infectious disease outbreaks can quickly strain public health systems and supply chains across borders. As the climate crisis continues, the pharmaceutical industry’s role in developing and delivering life-saving treatments will become increasingly important. However, the logistical challenge of delivering temperature- and time-sensitive therapies in the face of climate-related disruptions requires urgent innovation and collaboration.
Demand for climate-adapted supply chains rises
The pharmaceutical sector is poised for expansion as the global infectious disease burden mounts. According to research by World Courier based on surveys from 200 leading figures in transportation and storage, 59% of respondents expect steady growth in infectious disease manufacturing and research within the next two years, increasing to 70% in the next three to five years. But this growing emphasis on climate resilience calls for specialized logistics to ensure the integrity of temperature-sensitive therapies and timely delivery to underserved areas.
What are the key challenges emerging in this new logistical landscape? One is regional differences in priorities, magnifying the difficulties for firms attempting to devise a uniform response. Respondents in the Asia-Pacific region, for example, expect increased demand for short-term storage (53%) and last-mile delivery (45%), while those in North America anticipate greater need for logistics consultancy (51%) and long-term storage (47%). To support these varied needs, pharmaceutical companies will have to develop agile, resilient supply chains that can withstand the full panoply of climate-related disruptions.
Another is the need to fortify existing supply chain soft spots. The pharmaceutical supply chain is a complex network with several choke points vulnerable to disruptions. From manufacturing and warehousing to last-mile delivery, each stage of the supply chain must be able to withstand climate-related challenges and other global shocks. One recent report found drug shortages added as much as 20% to hospitals’ drug expenses in 2022 and 2023, as supply chain disruptions multiplied costs. Additionally, the World Health Organization reports that counterfeit medicines account for 10.5% of the global medicine supply, with the highest prevalence in low-income countries. Tackling the severe and uneven impact of supply chain failures remains a critical priority.
This links to another major hurdle: ensuring equitable access to vaccines, especially for vulnerable populations in remote or resource-limited settings. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted stark inequities in vaccine distribution, as logistical limitations hindered access for populations in many low- and middle-income countries. Efficient cold chain management is crucial to delivering vaccines to these regions, yet global health systems often lack the infrastructure to support such distribution on a large scale.
And logistics are only one part of the puzzle. Vaccine equity also requires effective public health communication to combat vaccine hesitancy, which remains a significant barrier to achieving global immunity. A 2022 survey spanning 23 countries revealed hesitancy among 20.9% of respondents towards COVID-19 vaccines, citing misinformation and distrust as primary factors. Addressing uncertainty around vaccines demands transparent, culturally sensitive communication strategies that build public trust in health systems and the benefits of immunization.
How innovation can help
What kind of solutions are hitting the market to shore up supply chains? According to World Courier, temperature control ranks as the top attribute pharmaceutical companies seek in logistics providers, with 44% of respondents identifying it as critical. Intensification of climate change mean innovations in cold chain technologies are essential to ensure safe vaccine distribution. Advanced solutions like active and passive temperature-controlled packaging, and advanced temperature monitoring systems are becoming indispensable.
Real-time monitoring systems play a vital complementary role, empowering companies to anticipate and mitigate potential disruptions due to temperature excursions. Data analytics and predictive modeling offer insights that enable pharmaceutical firms to optimize inventory levels and manage supply chain vulnerabilities. Diversifying suppliers, implementing advanced tracking systems and leveraging technologies like blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) can further strengthen supply chain resilience. And collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, governments, and logistics providers is essential to make supply chains transparent and ensure new technologies are being deployed as efficiently as possible.
Governments play a crucial role in supporting these partnerships through policies that promote supply chain resilience, such as investing in robust public health infrastructure and implementing clear, streamlined regulatory frameworks. In World Courier’s research, government red tape was cited as a top challenge – particularly in Africa, where 73% of respondents noted regulatory complexity as a significant barrier to meeting storage and transportation needs. Slashing bureaucratic barriers must be a priority to give pharma firms the freedom to adapt to changing disease environments. According to Stephanie Kurdach, infectious diseases analyst at GlobalData: “researchers agree that the infectious consequences of climate change will require a multidisciplinary approach to enact measurable changes.” When government and industry work together around the globe to catalyze these changes, both stand to benefit.
A clean and efficient future for pharma
As the need to adapt to climate change ramps up, there are opportunities for pharma firms to make their supply chains more efficiency than ever. Sustainable practices including optimization of transportation routes, use of cutting-edge eco-friendly packaging and cutting waste to reduce emissions can all have a healthy impact on firms’ bottom lines too. Pharmaceutical companies are also leveraging innovations like digital twins – virtual models that replicate the physical supply chain – to identify inefficiencies and improve environmental performance. By minimizing energy consumption and waste, these green innovations can help reduce the environmental impact of vaccine distribution and other healthcare logistics.
Altogether, pharmaceutical firms have the opportunity to roll out clean, tech-driven, collaborative strategies that can prioritize equity and sustainability in healthcare. Take, for example, BioNTech’s Biotainer project, which deploys mobile mRNA manufacturing units to regions with limited healthcare infrastructure, exemplifying how technological innovation can utilize multinationals’ expertise to localize vaccine production and distribution. This type of technology-driven, decentralized approach could be vital in reaching underserved areas where logistical barriers are high. And investments in local manufacturing can both reduce reliance on global suppliers to accelerate vaccine access during crises and keep emissions to a minimum – critical as the green transition gathers pace.
Climate-sensitive diseases will continue to strain public health systems, creating an urgent demand for agile, innovative solutions in pharmaceutical logistics. From strengthening cold chain infrastructure to adopting real-time data monitoring, the industry must prioritize both the integrity of medical products and the equity of access in every region. Partnerships with expert logistics providers, governments and NGOs are critical, helping pharmaceutical companies ensure that life-saving vaccines and therapies reach even the most underserved populations. In doing so, the industry both mitigates climate risks but also contributes to a more equitable, sustainable global health landscape. World Courier is one of the logistical experts standing on the frontier of change in the pharmaceutical industry, helping trailblazers roll out efficient, tech-led, sustainable cold-chain solutions. To find out how your biomanufacturing business could benefit, download the whitepaper on this page.
