Scientists have warned that over half of the world's population may face the risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever by the end of the century due to climate change.
Experts suggest that the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses, intensified by global warming, will extend to parts of Northern Europe and other regions globally in the coming decades.
In the UK, data from the Health Security Agency indicates that "imported" malaria cases surpassed two thousand last year, marking the first time in over 20 years.
There were 2,004 confirmed cases of malaria in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 2023 following travel abroad, compared to 1,369 cases in 2022.
This increase, according to the agency, is linked to the resurgence of malaria in many countries and the rise in international travel following the lifting of pandemic restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus.
On the other hand, the number of reported dengue fever cases worldwide has increased tenfold in the past two decades, from 500,000 cases in 2000 to over 5 million cases in 2019.
Dengue-carrying mosquitoes have invaded 13 European countries since 2000, with local transmission of the disease occurring in France, Italy, and Spain in 2023.
Rachel Looi, a professor at the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies in Spain, explained that climate change-induced global warming would expand disease vectors carrying and spreading malaria and dengue fever to new habitats.
These habitats are likely to be immune-compromised areas with poor healthcare systems.
She added that longer hot seasons would extend the seasonal window for mosquito-borne disease spread and encourage increasingly frequent outbreaks.
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