Climate Change Fuels Surge in Malaria Cases

Extreme weather events and rising temperatures contribute to a significant increase in global malaria infections, with five countries bearing the brunt of the disease.

Climate change is driving a surge in malaria cases, with extreme weather events such as flooding in Pakistan leading to a significant increase in infections.
According to the World Health Organization, there were an estimated 249 million cases of malaria globally in 2022, significantly more than before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The increase in malaria cases is concentrated in five countries: Pakistan, Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Papua New Guinea, with climate change being a direct contributor in three of them.
Extreme weather events, such as floods, create ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes and disrupt healthcare services, exacerbating the spread of malaria.
Efforts to combat malaria are being complicated by factors such as resistance to front-line medications, political unrest, humanitarian crises, and lack of funding.