Climate change is leading to an increase in mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue, according to a study by British experts published in the Lancet Planetary Health magazine. They analyzed data on the prevalence of both diseases, which can also cause death.
Significant growth in dengue has been reported in African countries such as Sudan and Eritrea, as well as in Colombia since 2000. From 505.4 thousand at the beginning of the 21st century, the number will increase to 5.2 million in 2019.
The study’s authors, who are from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases, believe that the increase in greenhouse gases makes mosquitoes more dangerous. Global warming is prolonging the season in which insects transmit diseases to humans through bites.
Experts predict that if the Earth’s temperature rises by 3.7 degrees Celsius by 2100, the death toll from mosquito-borne diseases will increase significantly. As early as 2080, about 8 billion people could be at risk of contracting malaria and dengue, up 4.7 billion from 1970-1999.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 400,000 people die of malaria worldwide each year, mostly children. In 2019, more than 90 percent or about 240 million cases of malaria were registered in Africa. A vaccine has been developed to treat severe malaria, but there is still no cure for dengue.
