The aftermath of the “apocalyptic” flash flooding in Pakistan in 2022 may have been the moment the world woke up to the impact that climate change has on health.
The surge of water created perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes, causing malaria and dengue cases to spike drastically. Massive cholera outbreaks erupted as sewage-infused flood water contaminated drinking water. Routine illnesses became life-threatening as people stuck on inland islands were unable to reach care.
“The realization that the world is having is that this is no longer about polar bears on ice drifts,” said Martin Edlund, chief executive officer of Malaria No More. “It's about the images that we saw in Pakistan of families floating their children in makeshift rafts to try to escape a flood that covered 30% of the landmass.”
About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
