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PESHAWAR, Dec 01 (APP): The catastrophic flooding in Pakistan in 2022 has increased five-fold the burden of malaria cases in the country, reveals WHO’s annual malaria report delving into the nexus between climate change and malaria.
Changes in temperature, humidity and rainfall can influence the behaviour and survival of the malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquito, the report made an observation.
“Extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and flooding, can also directly impact transmission and disease burden. Catastrophic flooding in Pakistan in 2022, for example, led to a five-fold increase in malaria cases in the country,” reads the report.
Despite strides in expanding access to insecticide-treated nets and medicines to help prevent malaria in young children and pregnant women, more people were getting sick with malaria, according to a new report published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In 2022, there were estimated 249 million malaria cases globally, exceeding the pre-pandemic level of 233 million in 2019 by 16 million cases.
Globally there were an additional five million malaria cases in 2022 over the previous year and five countries bore the brunt of these increases.
Pakistan saw the largest increase, with about 2.6 million cases in 2022 compared to 500 000 in 2021. Significant increases were also observed in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea and Uganda.
In addition to the disruptions caused by COVID-19, the global malaria response has faced a growing number of threats, such as drug and insecticide resistance, humanitarian crises, resource constraints, climate change impacts and delays in programme implementation particularly in countries with a high burden of the disease.
“The changing climate poses a substantial risk to progress against malaria, particularly in vulnerable regions. Sustainable and resilient malaria responses are needed now more than ever, coupled with urgent actions to slow the pace of global warming and reduce its effects,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
Climate variability is expected to have indirect effects on malaria trends through, for example, reduced access to essential malaria services and disruptions to the supply chain of insecticide-treated nets, medicines and vaccines. Population displacement due to climate-induced factors may also lead to increased malaria as individuals without immunity migrate to endemic areas, he added.
“It is crucial to recognize the multitude of threats that impede our response efforts. Climate variability poses a substantial risk, but we must also contend with challenges such as limited healthcare access, ongoing conflicts and emergencies, the lingering effects of COVID-19 on service delivery, inadequate funding and uneven implementation of our core malaria interventions,” WHO report added.
“To forge ahead toward a malaria-free future, we need a concerted effort to tackle these diverse threats that fosters innovation, resource mobilization and collaborative strategies.”
The report stressed on substantial pivot in the fight against malaria with increased resourcing, strengthened political commitment, data-driven strategies and innovative tools. Innovation should focus on the development of more efficient, effective and affordable products.
The added threat of climate change calls for sustainable and resilient malaria responses that align with efforts to reduce the effects of climate change. Whole-of-society engagement is crucial to build integrated approaches, it added.