Daijiworld Media Network - Geneva
Geneva, Oct 29: A new report from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has sounded a stark warning: heat-related deaths have risen by 63 per cent since the 1990s, claiming an average of 546,000 lives annually between 2012 and 2021. The report, released on Wednesday, underscores how the escalating climate crisis is already taking a devastating toll on global health, economies, and ecosystems.
Authored by 128 multidisciplinary experts worldwide, the report highlights that 12 of 20 key health indicators tied to climate impacts have reached record highs, pointing to worsening floods, droughts, wildfires, and the spread of infectious diseases — all linked to accelerating global warming.
The findings come just weeks ahead of the COP 30 climate summit scheduled for November in Brazil, adding urgency to global calls for decisive climate action.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis. Every fraction of a degree of warming costs lives and livelihoods,”
said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Care at the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Climate inaction is killing people now in every country. Yet climate action represents the greatest health opportunity of our time — from cleaner air and healthier diets to resilient health systems that protect future generations.”
?? Rising Heat, Rising Losses
Driven by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, 2024 marked the first year when global mean temperatures surpassed 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. The report notes that the average person faced 16 days of dangerous heat, while infants and older adults experienced over 20 heatwave days — a fourfold increase in just two decades.
The impacts are staggering:
• 640 billion labour hours were lost due to heat exposure in 2024, equating to $1.09 trillion in productivity losses.
• Heat-related deaths among older adults cost the global economy $261 billion.
??? Floods, Droughts, and Wildfires on the Rise
Between 1961–1990 and 2015–2024, extreme rainfall events — which increase risks of floods and landslides — rose across 64% of the world’s land surface. Simultaneously, extreme droughts affected a record 61% of global land area in 2024 — a 299% increase from the 1950s average.
The dual threat of drought and flooding is undermining food and water security, worsening sanitation crises, and inflicting severe economic losses.
Additionally, wildfire-related air pollution has intensified, with 2024 recording 154,000 deaths caused by PM2.5 particles from wildfire smoke — the highest ever documented.
?? Infectious Diseases on the Move
Changing climatic conditions are also expanding the reach of vector-borne diseases. The report found a significant rise in the transmission potential of dengue fever via Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, highlighting growing public health risks in tropical and subtropical regions.
?? Fossil Fuel Dependence and Policy Gaps
Despite mounting evidence, the report criticizes governments for continuing to subsidize fossil fuels instead of investing in clean energy. In 2023, global net fossil fuel subsidies reached $956 billion — more than triple the annual funding pledged to help climate-vulnerable nations. Alarmingly, 15 countries spent more on fossil fuel subsidies than on their entire national health budgets.
“Rapidly phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning to clean, renewable energy remains the most powerful step to slow climate change and save lives,” said Dr. Marina Romanello, Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown at University College London.
“At the same time, promoting healthier, climate-friendly diets and sustainable agriculture could prevent over 10 million deaths every year while cutting emissions and deforestation.”
The Lancet Countdown concludes that without urgent action to curb emissions and build resilient health systems, climate change will continue to drive avoidable deaths and deepen global inequality — turning an environmental crisis into a full-blown public health emergency.