Climate Change, Other Pressures Slowing Down Malaria Fight - WHO

Climate change and its impacts, particularly extreme weather and heatwaves, pose a substantial risk to progress being made to fight malaria, this is according to the 2023 World Health Organization (WHO) Malaria Report. The report was released on November 30, the same day that nations gathered at the UN climate change conference, COP28 in Dubai. WHO warned that despite expanding access to malaria prevention, more people are falling ill from the disease.

Each year, WHO's World Malaria Report provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of trends in malaria control and elimination across the globe. This year's report includes for the first time, a dedicated chapter focused on the intersection between climate change and malaria. Conflict and humanitarian crises, resource constraints, and biological challenges such as drug and insecticide resistance also continue to hamper progress.