El Nino Intensifies as Global Health Risks Rise
"We've just lived through the two hottest months on record. Sea surface temperatures are at record levels," Armel Castellan, extreme heat adviser at the joint WHO-WMO climate and health program, told reporters in Geneva.
Castellan said the climate phenomenon is likely to reach its strongest point toward the end of 2026, although its effects are expected to persist after the peak.
He explained that when El Nino reaches its maximum strength, large parts of the Southern Hemisphere, including southern Africa, South America and Australia, will enter their hottest period in early 2027. This could heighten the threat of drought, wildfires, smoke exposure and worsening air pollution.
Teresa Zakaria, WHO's unit head for risk reduction, humanitarian operations and climate change, told reporters that El Nino is "a significant public health threat, not just a climate phenomenon."
She added that malnutrition and cholera are considered "very high" risks in areas affected by either drought or flooding.
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