Shifting Burdens: Malaria Risks in a Hotter Africa
Climate variability and change present both immediate and future risks to human health.
Image
Changes in temperature, precipitation and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events will alter the nature of vector-borne diseases such as malaria across sub-Saharan Africa, placing more people at risk of exposure. This brief highlights findings from a report published by USAID that illustrates the potential shift in malaria transmission suitability in sub-Saharan Africa due to increased temperatures caused by climate change. This information improves understanding of how malaria seasonality will change across the continent, putting lives at risks, with important implications for malaria management and programming.
Key Findings
- As temperatures rise, new challenges to prevent and treat malaria across the continent will emerge.
- By 2030, increased temperatures will likely put more people across Africa at risk from exposure to malaria, while at the same time reducing, though in many cases not eliminating, the risk to others.
- Improved understanding of the influence of temperature on malaria can lead to improved public health planning and response and safeguard current investments in malaria control and prevention.
To learn more, view the full report.