ISLAMABAD: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria head Peter Sands warned about the recent surges in malaria cases and fatalities in Pakistan and Malawi caused by extreme weather events.
The number of malaria cases in Pakistan increased four times to 1.6 million in the previous year due to the floods that submerged one-third of the country.
Similarly, the six-month rain caused by Cyclone Freddy in Malawi triggered an increase in malaria cases. Sands remarked that such weather events are evidence of the effects of climate change on malaria.
The stagnant water left behind after the flooding provided a suitable environment for mosquitoes to breed, spreading the disease.
Sands highlighted that this year’s World Malaria Day is not only a mark of progress but also a call to action to address the effects of climate change on malaria. He emphasized the need to eliminate malaria and push it back by acting promptly.
Peter Sands, the head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, stated that the recent weather events in Pakistan and Malawi are evidence of the impact of climate change on malaria. With these extreme weather events, there is a significant amount of stagnant water, providing ideal breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Sands highlighted that the stagnant water left behind after the flooding and the heavy rainfall created a perfect environment for the breeding of mosquitoes and the spread of the disease.
Sands stressed that the dramatic increase in malaria cases caused by climate-driven weather disasters illustrates the urgent need to address the issue immediately. He urged for swift action to push back malaria and eliminate it where possible, especially as climate change is likely to exacerbate the problem in the future.
Climate-driven disasters lead to surge in Malaria cases in Pakistan: WHO
