Presenter: Inga Suneson
Planning, Public Policy and Management
Poster Presentation
C10
Malaria’s dependence on specific atmospheric conditions such as an abundance of precipitation and warm temperatures makes it susceptible to climate change. A slight change in temperature, precipitation, or seasons can result in exponential changes an area’s malarial infection rate. The trend in warming weather patterns presents a potential threat by providing a more hospitable climate for malaria in places such as Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. These potential hazards caused by changing weather patterns will largely be places where malaria has not previously been a problem. The changing range of malaria could impact new populations, without medi- cal infrastructure to fight it. By monitoring locations of malarial infections along with climate patterns, potential epidemics could be averted.