As the temperature range where malaria-carrying mosquitoes thrive is rising in elevation as the planet warms and mosquitoes migrate slowly upward, scientists now worry people living in areas once inhospitable to the insects will now be exposed to malaria. For example, a study published in 2016 found the habitat for malaria-carrying mosquitoes had expanded in the high-elevation Mount Kilimanjaro region by hundreds of square kilometers in just 10 years. Most research on the trend focuses on Africa given the fact that 96% of malaria deaths in 2021 occurred in the continent. Global deaths from malaria declined by 29% between 2002 and 2021 as countries have taken more aggressive tactics in fighting the disease. However, the numbers remain high, especially in Africa, where children under 5 years old account for 80% of all malaria deaths.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 25, 2023 21:09 UTC