According to the WHO, heavy rainfall associated with El Nino could create favorable conditions for cholera outbreaks and the proliferation of disease-carrying insects, particularly mosquitoes. That could lead to a rise in diseases such as malaria, chikungunya, and dengue.
Teresa Zakaria, head of WHO’s Risk Reduction, Humanitarian Action, and Climate Change unit, warned that the most severe impacts are likely to occur where extreme weather events coincide with weak health systems, limited access to healthcare, food insecurity, displacement, or ongoing humanitarian crises.
The WHO considers El Nino a significant public health threat because it can compound multiple risks simultaneously. Zakaria urged countries to take immediate action to mitigate the possible impacts.
In early September, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said El Nino is forecast to be the strongest since comparable records began four decades ago. Its impact on the global climate could persist into next year.
