Super El Nino a ‘significant’ threat to world health: UN

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, September 23, 2026

The United Nations has warned that the current El Niño, expected to be the strongest on record, poses severe health risks including outbreaks of waterborne and mosquito-borne diseases across vulnerable regions. Health authorities are urged to act quickly to prevent a crisis, especially in areas with weak health systems and food insecurity, as the climate disruptions linked to El Niño could last into 2027.

The United Nations has issued a warning about the significant health risks posed by the current El Niño weather pattern, which is expected to be the strongest on record. This natural climate phenomenon, linked to rising Pacific Ocean surface temperatures, is associated with elevated global temperatures and alternating extremes of drought and flooding. Its effects are already being observed across regions from Central America to Indonesia.

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted concerns that the heavy rainfall accompanying El Niño can create conditions conducive to outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera, as well as an increase in insect vectors, including mosquitoes. This could lead to a surge in illnesses like malaria, chikungunya, and dengue fever. Teresa Zakaria, head of the WHO's Unit for Risk Reduction, Humanitarian Operations and Climate Change, emphasized that the most severe consequences are likely where health systems are weak, access to medical care is limited, and populations face food insecurity, displacement, or humanitarian crises.

Describing El Niño as a “significant public health threat” and a “risk multiplier,” Zakaria urged governments and health authorities to take immediate preventive measures to reduce the anticipated impacts and prevent loss of life. She noted that there remains a critical window to act before the situation escalates into a full-blown crisis.

Earlier in September, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) forecasted that this El Niño event could be the strongest since records began approximately 40 years ago. The organization warned that the resulting climatic disruptions may persist into 2027, with widespread ramifications.

While El Niño itself is a natural occurrence not directly caused by climate change, scientists caution that it will exacerbate the effects of global warming driven by fossil fuel emissions. These factors combined are expected to intensify extreme weather events worldwide. Armel Castellan, an advisor from the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme, noted that although every El Niño event is unique, the current one stands out due to already record-breaking temperatures, which could magnify its impacts on health and the environment.

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