The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services have delivered a grim warning on World Malaria Day: climate change is increasing the fatality of malaria in Pakistan. With more than 2 million cases each year, the illness has become increasingly difficult to tackle, and the country’s climate issue is the cause.
Pakistan Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal emphasised the Urgency
“We are witnessing firsthand how climate change is raising the risk and the number of cases in our nation. Eradicating malaria is not only a health imperative—it’s an investment in our future,” Kamal stated.
The 2022 floods caused havoc in Pakistan and left behind a deadly footprint: a three-year malaria explosion of 6.6 million cases. From a low of 400,000 in 2021, Pakistan reached an all-time high of 2.7 million cases in 2023. Even though 2024 fell to 2 million, the long-term trend is alarming.
Drier conditions and still floodwaters provide the ideal breeding site for mosquitoes. With poverty and poor health infrastructure in regions such as Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh, it is worsened.
Read More: Blocking Pakistan’s Water will be Considered an Act of War: NSC
Fighting Back with Prevention and Treatment
In the face of these challenges, Pakistan has increased it efforts to fight the disease. In 2024, more than 11.4 million individuals were screened for malaria and treated for 2 million confirmed cases. With WHO technical support and funding from the Global Fund, the nation delivered 7.8 million insecticide-treated nets to 22 high-risk districts.
This year’s theme for World Malaria Day—“Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite”—urges all partners to double efforts in preventing malaria.
A Regional and Global Concern
The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region reported 10.2 million malaria cases in 2023, a 137% rise from 2015. WHO’s Pakistan representative Dr. Dapeng Luo emphasised the global stakes: “We know how to end malaria, but climate change is pulling us backward. The solution is collaboration and investment.”
The Road Ahead
Malaria can be beaten; Pakistan’s success is proof. But climate-induced health emergencies are becoming the new normal. If the nation is to safeguard its most vulnerable and maintain the progress it’s achieved, it has to move quickly—and the world must stand alongside.
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