As the El NiƱo climate phenomenon begins to take hold in Colombia, bringing intense heat, drought, and wildfires, health experts are sounding the alarm about the disease outbreaks that could follow. In an interview with journalist MarĆa Isabel Rueda, epidemiologist, professor, and researcher Carlos Ćlvarez explains why the danger doesn’t end when the flames go out or the rain finally returns.
El NiƱo is a recurring climate pattern that warms Pacific Ocean waters and typically brings drier, hotter conditions to northern South America, often fueling wildfires and water shortages. According to Ćlvarez, Colombia is entering this cycle already burdened by partially contained outbreaks of dengue fever, malaria, and yellow feverāall mosquito-borne illnesses that can spread more easily in warmer conditions.
Ćlvarez stresses that a natural disaster’s aftermath can be just as dangerous as the disaster itself. Even after wildfires are extinguished or floodwaters recede, contaminated water sources can trigger secondary health crises, turning an environmental emergency into a full-blown epidemic. He argues that Colombia’s healthcare system, already strained, needs to prioritize preventionāmonitoring water safety, controlling mosquito populations, and preparing communities in advanceārather than simply reacting once people fall ill.
His central message is blunt: waiting to treat sickness after it spreads is far costlier, in both lives and resources, than preventing it in the first place. For the full conversation on how Colombians can protect themselves as El NiƱo intensifies, check out the original interview at El Tiempo.
Source: āTenemos que prevenirā: epidemiĆ³logo Carlos Ćlvarez sobre el fenĆ³meno de El NiƱo / Entrevista de MarĆa Isabel Rueda (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Urban_Integration, BY-SA 2.0 (via Openverse).