Forecasting epidemic risk is a pre-requisite to effective epidemic interventions and the greater the lead-time available the better. Where diseases have a strong climate component it should be possible to incorporate weather monitoring or even seasonal climate forecasting into the health surveillance and response process. In this presentation the development of malaria early warning systems (MEWS) for Africa will be presented. Specifically the role weather monitoring and seasonal climate forecasting may play in the interaction between malaria parasite, anopheline vector and human host and how these interactions may be used in the prediction of malaria epidemic risk will be explored. The developments of a malaria early warning system will then be compared with the proposed development of a meningitis early warning system for the Meningitis Belt of Africa.