With climate change comes increased risk of heavy rainfall and flooding, which are closely linked to malaria epidemics. Following severe flooding in rural western Uganda in May 2020, Xu et al (2024) investigated the spatial risk of malaria infection at multiple timepoints.⁷²

Children aged 12 and under were given three rounds of an antimalarial treatment (dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine) starting one month after the flood. Rapid diagnostic testing was carried out one-, two- and three-months post-flood, demonstrating a significant reduction in malaria incidence.

The study used remote sensing and on-site surveys not just to map disease risk, but also to identify geographic disparities in how the intervention reached different subgroups. For example, residents who were displaced for longer post-flooding and had lower access to insecticidal nets were at greater risk of malaria infection.

Traditional malaria monitoring systems weren’t designed to detect climate-driven shifts in transmission. The study demonstrates the value of GIS tools for mapping and controlling malaria outbreaks caused by severe flooding.

Wright et al (2025) note that the intervention could have been further strengthened by combining short-term chemoprevention with longer-term measures such as addressing floodwater control and incentivizing residents to relocate away from flood risk areas.⁷¹