by the British University of Leeds has found that the hot and dry conditions caused by climate change could lead to a decrease in areas suitable for malaria transmission.
They said the rapid shift in Africa’s climate could cause changes in rainfall which could expand or restrict the geographic range of mosquitoes and the availability of stagnant water that is needed for vector breeding.“Areas at risk for malaria transmission in Africa may decline more than previously expected because of climate change in the 21st century, suggests an ensemble of environmental and hydrologic models,” the statement reads.
“Because it is spread by mosquitoes, malaria is also one of the most prominent climate-sensitive diseases. For example, changes in rainfall could expand or restrict the geographic range of mosquitoes and the availability of standing water that they need to breed, particularly in Africa where the climate is already rapidly shifting.
The researchers hope that subsequent advances in their modelling will showcase even finer details of water body dynamics which could help to inform national malaria control strategies.