Chapoterera Byron, Naidoo Keshena, Marume Anesu
School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Department of Global Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.
J Public Health Afr. 2025 Aug 28;16(1):1346. doi: 10.4102/jphia.v16i1.1346. eCollection 2025.
Climate change has significant health implications, disproportionately affecting Africa because of its limited adaptive capacity and socio-environmental vulnerabilities. Malaria, a climate-sensitive disease, is a major public health concern. Climate change influences malaria transmission by altering vector behaviour, parasite life cycles and environmental conditions.
To identify, map and analyse evidence on the relationship between malaria and climate change in Africa.
The study examined institutional and community-based studies conducted in the African region.
A systematic review of studies published between January 2010 and December 2024 was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, African Index Medicus and Embase using keywords related to climate change and malaria. Thematic analysis was applied to synthesise patterns and trends.
Ninety studies were included. Findings demonstrate that slight temperature increases significantly impact malaria transmission by accelerating mosquito vector and parasite development. Changes in rainfall patterns, whether excessive or diminished, affect mosquito breeding sites, leading to fluctuations in malaria incidence. Regional variations highlight the need for localised interventions.
Climate factors are crucial in malaria prevalence and distribution in Africa. As climate shifts alter mosquito populations, traditional interventions, such as chemical spraying, may become less effective. Integrating ecological data into malaria control strategies ensures interventions remain effective under changing climatic conditions. Strengthening climate-responsive policies will be pivotal in malaria reduction and elimination efforts.
This review offers a comprehensive synthesis of climate-malaria interactions, providing insights for policymakers and researchers to develop climate-informed malaria control strategies tailored to Africa's diverse ecosystems landscapes.
气候变化对健康有着重大影响，由于非洲适应能力有限以及社会环境脆弱性，非洲受到的影响尤为严重。疟疾是一种对气候敏感的疾病，是主要的公共卫生问题。气候变化通过改变病媒行为、寄生虫生命周期和环境条件来影响疟疾传播。
识别、绘制并分析非洲疟疾与气候变化之间关系的证据。
该研究考察了在非洲地区开展的基于机构和社区的研究。
利用与气候变化和疟疾相关的关键词，对2010年1月至2024年12月期间发表在PubMed、Scopus、《非洲医学索引》和Embase上的研究进行了系统综述。采用主题分析法来综合模式和趋势。
纳入了90项研究。研究结果表明，气温略有上升会通过加速蚊媒和寄生虫的发育对疟疾传播产生重大影响。降雨模式的变化，无论是过多还是减少，都会影响蚊子的繁殖地，导致疟疾发病率波动。区域差异凸显了采取本地化干预措施的必要性。
气候因素对非洲疟疾的流行和分布至关重要。随着气候变化改变蚊子种群，传统干预措施，如化学喷洒，可能会变得效果不佳。将生态数据纳入疟疾控制策略可确保干预措施在不断变化的气候条件下仍保持有效。加强应对气候变化的政策对于减少和消除疟疾的努力至关重要。
本综述全面综合了气候与疟疾的相互作用，为政策制定者和研究人员制定适合非洲多样生态系统景观的基于气候信息的疟疾控制策略提供了见解。
