A recent UN report has issued a stark warning that climate change could undo decades of progress in improving human health. The joint study, coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization, highlights the detrimental impact of a warming planet on health systems and global well-being.
The report underscores that extreme heat poses a more significant threat to human lives than all other weather events, emphasizing the urgent need for early warning systems for extreme heat and improved pollen monitoring to combat its effects.
In the past year, virtually the entire planet has experienced heat waves, and in 2022, Europe alone witnessed over 60,000 excess deaths attributed to extreme heat. The report also points out that extremely high temperatures exacerbate air pollution, which is responsible for approximately 7 million premature deaths annually.
A coalition of groups, including the World Health Organization, is calling for “transformational change” in both the health and climate sectors to address this pressing global challenge.