In the Dakibiu community – a slum area located near Jabi, one of the commercial nerve centres of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – 42-year-old Mrs. Adeola Balogun swats at the persistent buzzing in her bedroom.
“I have lived here all my life.
“But the mosquitoes are worse now, everywhere, all year round. Even with nets and repellents, it feels like they are winning,” Balogun said.
In Addis Ababa, 28-year-old farmer Mr. Mulugeta Tesfaye, shared a different challenge.
“Our village never had malaria in the highlands. Now, every rainy season brings fever and hospital visits for my children.
“It is terrifying because we don’t have immunity here,’’ Testaye said.
More so, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, school teacher, Madam Aissatou Traoré, sounded downcast.
“Dengue is spreading fast in our neighborhoods. Last year, half my class fell sick. People are scared and unsure how to protect themselves,” she said.
These stories reflect a continent-wide reality: mosquitoes are becoming year-round, widespread, and more dangerous, driven by climate change.
Across Africa, a familiar sound is becoming more persistent and more dangerous. The buzz of mosquitoes, once seasonal and predictable, is now a year-round reality in many communities.
From coastal cities like Lagos to highland settlements across East Africa, climate change is reshaping where mosquitoes live, how they behave, and how diseases spread.
This transformation, increasingly described by experts as “The Big Itch,” is no longer just an environmental concern but a growing public health crisis placing millions at risk of malaria, dengue, and other vector-borne diseases.
Experts say climate change is fundamentally altering mosquito ecology.
Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and milder winters are enabling mosquitoes to expand beyond their traditional boundaries.
Research from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information and the Wellcome Trust indicates that mosquitoes are now emerging earlier in the year, surviving longer into colder seasons, and thriving in regions that were once unsuitable for their survival.
This shift is effectively dismantling natural environmental barriers and exposing new populations to diseases for which they have little or no immunity.
The biological impact of rising temperatures on mosquitoes is particularly alarming.
Studies indexed on PubMed Central indicate that higher temperatures accelerate mosquito development, increase their biting frequency, and shorten the incubation period of pathogens within them.
At approximately 28 degrees Celsius, an Anopheles mosquito can mature from egg to adult in about 10 days, while warmer conditions also speed up viral development, allowing mosquitoes to become infectious more quickly.
Experts say this “turbo-charged” effect significantly increases the intensity and frequency of disease transmission.
In addition to these biological changes, mosquitoes are expanding into new geographic frontiers.
According to Yale Climate Connections, mosquitoes are moving into the African highlands at approximately 6.5 metres per year, bringing malaria to communities that cooler temperatures have historically protected.
Warmer winters are also enabling mosquitoes to survive year-round, turning what was once a seasonal risk into a public health threat.
Urbanisation is further compounding the problem.
Reports from BBC News highlight the spread of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive mosquito species that thrives in densely populated urban environments.
This species breeds in water storage containers, drainage systems, and waste sites, and has shown resistance to many commonly used insecticides.
Its presence in cities such as Lagos and Kano represents a major shift in malaria transmission dynamics, moving the disease from rural settings into crowded urban centres where the potential for rapid spread is significantly higher.
Africa already carries nearly 95 per cent of the global malaria burden, and climate change is expected to worsen the situation.
Data from the Medicines for Malaria Venture shows that the continent recorded approximately 265 million malaria cases and 579,000 deaths in 2024 alone.
Projections indicate that climate change could lead to an additional 123 million cases and over 500,000 deaths by 2050, driven largely by extreme weather events, disruptions to healthcare systems, and persistent funding gaps.
Nigeria alone accounts for nearly one-third of global malaria deaths, underscoring the scale of the challenge.
Dengue fever is also emerging as a significant threat across the continent.
According to the Malaria Consortium and The Lancet, Africa has recorded approximately 200,000 suspected dengue cases over the past decade, with West Africa accounting for the majority of confirmed infections.
Climate change and rapid urbanisation are expected to extend transmission seasons by up to four months annually, increasing both the frequency and severity of outbreaks.
Human activities are further intensifying the crisis.
Research published on Science Direct shows that irrigation projects, dam construction, and deforestation are creating new breeding habitats for mosquitoes while also increasing local temperatures.
This phenomenon, sometimes described as the “paddies paradox,” illustrates how development efforts can inadvertently amplify public health risks when environmental considerations are not fully integrated into planning.
Experts warned that the intersection of climate change and mosquito behaviour in Nigeria and across Africa represents a “public health time-bomb” that requires immediate and coordinated action.
Dr Akinlolu Fawehinmi, Rector, Nigeria College of Natural Medicine Technology in Lagos under the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, said that rising temperatures were accelerating mosquito breeding and shortening their life cycles.
Fawehinmi noted that erratic weather patterns, including both flooding and drought, were creating ideal conditions for mosquito species such as Aedes, thereby increasing the risk of disease transmission.
Experts from the African Institute for Development Policy and the World Health Organisation warn that the rise of Anopheles stephensi poses a serious threat to urban malaria control efforts.
Mr. Odinaka Obeta, Executive Director of Block Malaria Africa, explained that the species thrived in artificial water containers, difficult to monitor, and exhibited resistance to commonly used insecticides, making it particularly dangerous in rapidly growing cities.
Obeta called for the development of climate-resilient health systems.
He stressed the need for vulnerability assessments to identify communities most at risk, as well as the integration of climate data into health planning.
Dr Bernard Onyango, a Kenyan demographer and policy researcher known for his work linking population dynamics, health, and environmental sustainability, said that climate and health systems must work together more effectively.
Onyango observed that meteorological services and health institutions often operated in isolation, resulting in fragmented data and missed opportunities for early warning and coordinated response.
Strategic Adviser on Malaria Elimination to the Minister of Health, Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu, further highlighted the importance of community awareness and gender-sensitive approaches.
Mokuolu noted that there was a significant gap between general awareness of climate change and understanding its direct impact on health, particularly in relation to mosquito-borne diseases.
He said that women and girls were disproportionately affected during climate-related events such as floods, which could disrupt access to essential healthcare services, including maternal and reproductive care.
At the global level, researchers from the Pan-African Medical Journal point to a stark inequity.
Africa contributes only about four per cent of global carbon emissions; yet, it is home to seven of the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change.
They argue that the worsening mosquito crisis reflects a broader issue of global responsibility, with high-emission countries playing a significant role in driving the environmental changes that are now impacting Africa’s public health landscape.
For millions of people across the continent, the consequences of this crisis are already being felt in increased illness, rising healthcare costs, and reduced productivity.
Communities are adapting as best as they can, but without stronger systems, better coordination, and sustained investment, these efforts may not be enough.
The “Big Itch” is no longer just about discomfort. It is a warning sign of a deeper and more complex crisis, where climate change is directly shaping the future of human health.
Stakeholders warn that without urgent and coordinated action, the spread of mosquito-borne diseases will continue to accelerate, placing even greater strain on already vulnerable populations and health systems across Africa.
By Abujah Racheal, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)