Amman, Sept. 22 (Petra) - Warmer Pacific waters from El Niño are altering global weather and threatening public health worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday.

The agency cautioned that El Niño drives intense heatwaves, degrades air quality through wildfires, exacerbates malnutrition, and spreads waterborne diseases like cholera through alternating droughts and floods. Rainy conditions and flooding also boost mosquito populations, accelerating outbreaks of malaria, dengue, and chikungunya.

In a statement Tuesday, Teresa Zakaria, Risk Reduction, Humanitarian Operations and Climate Change Unit Head, said El Niño’s health impacts are "predictable." She urged governments, international partners, and local communities to act "immediately" to safeguard healthcare infrastructure and save lives before health risks escalate into full-blown crises.

Climate shocks will worsen health crises globally, as the sharpest impact is striking regions already struggling with weak healthcare, hunger, displacement, and instability, according to Zakaria.

Earlier this month, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization warned the current El Niño cycle could rank among the strongest in the four decades since record-keeping began.

The organization is scheduled to issue its next climate update at the end of November.

//Petra// HA