Climate change is increasingly influencing the spread of vector-borne diseases in India. Rising temperatures, unseasonal rainfall, and changing environmental conditions are creating new challenges in the country’s fight against malaria.
India has made significant progress in reducing its malaria load as there has been a drastic reduction in both new case incidence and mortality rates. Because of this, the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2024, removed India from the list of 11 countries grouped under the ‘High Burden to High Impact’ initiative.
Initiated in 2018, the WHO had included India along with 10 African countries as part of a strategy to accelerate efforts towards reducing malaria burden. However, in recent times, climate change has emerged as a major impediment to India’s goal of eliminating malaria by 2030.
Climate Change and Malaria Risk
With a large part of the country located in the tropical region, high temperatures and humid conditions provide an ideal environment for mosquitoes to survive and multiply. Since a significant proportion of the population resides in endemic regions, controlling malaria cases has remained an uphill task.
Unseasonal weather patterns causing frequent rainfall are among the major contributors to the increasing difficulty in controlling malaria. Rainfall leads to stagnant water accumulation, which creates ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes to lay eggs and for larvae to develop.
Dense forest regions further support mosquito breeding through tree shade, humidity, and stagnant water bodies. Tribal populations living deep inside forests and cut off from mainstream healthcare systems pose an additional challenge for malaria mitigation efforts.
States such as Chhattisgarh and Odisha, with extensive forest cover and tropical climatic conditions, are particularly vulnerable to vector-borne diseases.
Climate Change Turning Earlier Inhospitable Regions Hospitable
The western and northwestern parts of India, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, and parts of Haryana, traditionally have arid climatic conditions. Limited stagnant water bodies and lower humidity levels restrict mosquito breeding to only certain periods of the year.
However, unseasonal weather events are altering the climatic and environmental patterns of these regions. Increased humidity and the formation of stagnant water puddles create favorable conditions for mosquito survival and breeding.
Similarly, rising temperatures in high-altitude regions for prolonged periods are contributing to the emergence of malaria in areas that were once considered inhospitable to mosquitoes.
Extended periods of high temperatures and unseasonal rainfall are also changing the occurrence patterns of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya.
Need for a Change in Public Discourse
For a long time, discussions surrounding climate change have largely focused on environmental concerns such as rising temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels.
However, the direct impact of climate change on human health remains relatively under-discussed. Increasing awareness regarding the health consequences of climate change, along with stronger government intervention, is essential to mitigate the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria in India.
Conclusion
Although India has made remarkable progress in reducing its malaria burden and remains on track to achieve its target of eliminating malaria by 2030, climate change continues to pose a significant challenge.
Increased community participation, stronger healthcare awareness, and sustained government intervention can play a crucial role in mitigating the spread of vector-borne diseases across the country.
