Climate change is serious and is in dire need to be addressed timely. Even the harmless mosquito now carries the malarial parasite in Pakistan due to the drastic changes in the climate.
The Directorate of Malaria Control claims that the traditional malaria-carrying, mosquito female anopheles has disappeared in Pakistan. In flood-prone areas of Pakistan, the “anopheles pulcheri mosquito”, which previously could not carry the malarial parasite to human beings, is now able to spread malaria.
The Federal Director of Malaria Control, Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, said in this regard that although the traditional malarial-spreading mosquito has disappeared due to extreme heat and flood, malaria has been spreading 5 to 10 times faster in flood-affected areas.
Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar further said that the Center for Disease Control has sent the samples of the new mosquito to the United States for DNA and blood tests. The authorities of the American and World Health Organization are also conducting research on the new developments regarding malaria.
The Federal Director of Malaria Control says that a new malaria control strategy will have to be made due to the emergence of the new mosquito. This year, about 5 million suspected cases of malaria have been reported so far, he added.