Climate change could spread malaria risk to new countries, warns International SOS
Climate change could see malaria cases in countries previously free of the disease, bringing new health risks for workers travelling overseas, according to health and security firm International SOS.
Dr Dave Knight, occupational medicine physician and malaria specialist at International SOS, said: “Malaria transmission patterns are demonstrably shifting, with climate change as a significant factor we must consider.”
He added: “It is predicted with climate change that this risk could grow, and malaria transmission could spread into countries previously free of malaria.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts an additional 250,000 deaths per year by the 2030s due to climate change impacts on diseases, including malaria.
To mark World Malaria Day, International SOS said the disease remains a significant threat globally, with 240 million infections recorded in 2022. International SOS tracked a 15% increase in malaria-related assistance requests from workforces in 2023. Some 57% of cases were in Asia largely affecting workers in the mining industry, and 40% of cases in Africa where affected workers were largely in the oil and gas sector, mining or NGOs.
Dr Irene Lai, global medical director at International SOS, said travellers from areas currently free from malaria are at higher risk of severe illness and death if they are infected. “All organisations with travellers to or operations in areas with malaria should assess the risk and ensure they have policies and procedures in place to mitigate that risk,” she said, including awareness programmes, provision of repellents and anti-malarial medicine, and access to medical care.
Dr Knight added: “There are no ground-shifting technology solutions imminent over the next few years that will allow significant mitigation of this risk in a company workforce. We still rely on age-old interventions.”
However, he urged the private sector to support vaccine developments and new bed net initiatives in communities where they operate.
