Climate Change: A threat to malaria elimination. Is Asia Pacific prepared?

About the Thematic Brief

Malaria control and elimination efforts are at risk all over the world due to climate change. It is altering the transmission of vector-borne diseases (VBDs), including malaria. A quantitative assessment by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that climate change may cause an additional 60,000 malaria deaths between 2030 and 2050 even when accounting for economic growth and health progress. It also projects that about 5% of the global malaria cases, or 21 million cases, would be attributable to climate change in 2030. Climate change could wipe out the gains against malaria in Asia Pacific.

This thematic brief highlights the link between climate change and vector-borne diseases. Using malaria to tell the narrative, it lists key actions that policymakers and the public health community can consider in addressing the impact of a changing climate on VBDs. The thematic brief begins by describing the vulnerability of countries in the region to climate change. It then discusses the main challenges that countries are facing vis-à-vis climate change and VBDs, and how some countries are dealing with these challenges. Finally, the thematic brief includes a list of resources that countries can benefit from in planning their response.

Contributors and reviewers: Malaria Consortium; TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

Developed by: APLMA and APMEN secretariat

Download the brief: Aug19_Climate_change_FINAL_with_links.pdf

Access the full references: Climate_change_brief-Full_reference_list (4).docx