The climate phenomenon known as La Nina which comes after El Nino is responsible for the unusually wet conditions in the southern African region according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The unusually wet conditions can raise the infection levels.
WHO has urged many countries to raise awareness and distribute both anti-malaria drugs and insecticide-treated nets. In southern Africa, Malaria is one of the main causes of death killing at least 400,000 people each year.
“Malaria is a climate sensitive disease and for this time of the year we have experienced uncommonly heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of southern Africa,” according to Joaquim Da Silva, who is the WHO’s Malaria Epidemics & Emergency Officer in the southern African region.
While La Nina originates in the Pacific, the effects are worldwide making wet regions wetter and dry regions drier.
Da Silva said that this could raise the risk of flooding in the river systems of Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. Currently, one region of Zambia is going through a contaminated water scare while Zimbabwe is still in an economic crisis.