It’s actually insane to me how the topic of climate change is so controversial?! I remember being a kid and learning about it and everyone immediately trying to debunk this theory by saying some ridiculous statement about having a really cold night last week. What is even more funny is that people are attacking Greta for actually trying to get political push in the sector of climate change and environmental policies. I mean, she is doing God’s work trying to save the planet that is already in destruction!
As I come back from my little tangent, climate change is especially important in the topic of malaria because malaria is favored in really warm, humid environments. With climate change rising temperatures every year, it is extremely likely that malaria will become present in areas that we don’t see it now. Of course, it only gets real global attention once it spreads to the Global North though, right?
Here is a piece of an article that I enjoyed reading:
“Changes in temperature, humidity, rainfall, and other climatic conditions have an impact on important factors that dictate the transmission of malaria, such as the lifespan of the mosquito and the development of malaria parasites in the insect.
According to NASA, nineteen of the warmest years on record have occurred since 2000. Together, 2020 and 2016 have been the warmest years since records began in 1880. Data shows us that global average temperatures have been steadily and significantly rising over the past century, with accelerated increases observed since the 1950s, demonstrating the trend is hastening.
Scientists believe that mosquito-borne diseases are benefiting from these rising temperatures and the other climatic changes they induce. The warmer climate is facilitating the geographical distribution of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, as well as the risk of transmission.
Data suggests that increases in temperature, humidity, and rainfall (all caused by climate change) are helping to proliferate the mosquito population at higher altitudes. This is widening the geographical distribution of the disease, allowing it to emerge in new locations which had previously not supported mosquito populations.”
What’s most sad about this is that malaria will just get worse in Sub-Saharan Africa too, and its already such a concentrated area for malaria cases and deaths. With a more widespread global presence and increased temperatures, Sub-Saharan Africa will suffer from increased risk. “According to the World Health Organization, those most affected by malaria are children under five (who accounted for 67% of all malaria deaths in 2019), and those in Africa (who accounted for 94% of all cases in the same year).” These people are people, they are also CHILDREN. We need change and we need to find a way to curb climate change so its detrimental effects aren’t so severe.
Source:https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Effect-of-Climate-Change-on-Malaria.aspx