Heat-related deaths rose by 63 pct since 1990s, claiming 546,000 lives yearly

Heatrelated deaths have increased by 63 per cent since the 1990s averaging 546000 deaths yearly from 201221 according to an alarming report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change on WednesdayThe report authored by 128 multidisciplinary experts worldwide showed how climate inaction is claiming millions of lives every year causing widespread floods droughts and wildfires and also facilitating the spread of infectious diseases across the globeThe report which comes ahead of the COP 30 to be held in November in Brazil found that 12 of 20 key indicators tracking health threats have reached record levels showing how climate inaction is costing lives straining health systems and undermining economiesIt warned that continued overreliance on fossil fuels and failure to adapt to a heating world are already having a devastating toll on human healthldquoThe climate crisis is a health crisis Every fraction of a degree of warming costs lives and livelihoodsrdquo said Dr Jeremy Farrar Assistant DirectorGeneral for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care at the World Health OrganizationldquoThis report produced with WHO as a strategic partner makes clear that climate inaction is killing people now in all countries However climate action is also the greatest health opportunity of our time Cleaner air healthier diets and resilient health systems can save millions of lives now and protect current and future generationsrdquo Farrar addedDriven by humancaused greenhouse gas emissions climate change is increasingly claiming lives and harming peoplersquos health worldwide The report noted that mean annual temperatures exceeded 1middot5 degrees Celsius above those of preindustrial times for the first time in 2024Climate change exposed an average person to 16 days of dangerous heat in 2024 with infants and older adults facing a total of over 20 heatwave days per person a fourfold increase over the last twenty yearsHeat exposure caused 640 billion potential labour hours to be lost in 2024 with productivity losses equivalent to 109 trillion The costs of heatrelated deaths among older adults reached 261 billionFurther the incidence of extreme precipitation days which affect health and can trigger flash floods and landslides increased in 64 per cent of the worldrsquos land surface between 196190 and 201524Meanwhile a recordbreaking 61 per cent of the global land area was affected by extreme drought in 2024 which is 299 per cent above the 1950s average further threatening food and water security sanitation and causing downstream economic lossesIn addition the hotter and drier weather increased the risk of wildfires and 2024 saw a recordhigh 154000 deaths from wildfire smokederived small particulate matter PM2middot5 air pollutionThe changing climatic conditions are also affecting the risk of transmission of deadly infectious diseases The average climatedefined transmission potential of dengue by Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti increased significantlyOn the other hand governments spent 956 billion on net fossil fuel subsidies in 2023 more than triple the annual amount pledged to support climatevulnerable countriesFifteen countries spent more subsidising fossil fuels than on their entire national health budgetsldquoRapidly phasing out fossil fuels in favour of clean renewable energy and efficient energy use remains the most powerful lever to slow climate change and protect lives At the same time shifting to healthier climatefriendly diets and more sustainable agricultural systems would massively cut pollution greenhouse gases and deforestation potentially saving over 10 million lives a yearrdquo said Dr Marina Romanello Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown at University College LondonThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever