Climate crisis a ‘substantial risk’ to fight against malaria, says WHO

A Médecins Sans Frontières medical camp in the Dadu district of Sindh province, Pakistan. Last year’s floods led to a five-fold increase in malaria cases. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The climate crisis poses a major threat to the fight against malaria, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with evidence suggesting extreme weather events and rising temperatures have already led to spikes in cases.

Mosquitoes, the carriers of the disease, thrive in warm, damp and humid conditions, which are increasing with global heating.