New Report Highlights Detrimental Impact of Climate Change on Human Health EARTH.ORG Colin RhodesJan 23rd 2025 10 of 15 indicators monitoring health hazards, exposures and impacts have reached record levels, according to the latest Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report. These impacts disproportionately fall on the 745 million people who lack access to electricity and have contributed the least to climate change. Record fossil fuel subsidies, production, and increasing global energy demand are pushing emissions to levels that will further endanger human health. “The 2024 report reveals the most concerning findings yet in 8 years of monitoring” – 2024 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change has been produced each year since 2015 by a collaboration of 300 researchers and health professionals from UN agencies and global academic institutions. The central aim of the report is to evaluate the connections between climate change and health at global, regional, and national levels. The most recent report, published in October 2024, analyzes linkages between climate change and health across 56 indicators.
Key Climate Change and Health Indicators
Heat.....Extreme heat is becoming more prevalent and dangerous to human health. Between 2019 and 2023, people were exposed to 46 additional days on average of health-threatening heat than would have been expected without climate change. The report defines “health-threatening” temperatures above the 84th percentile of the 1986-2005 daily average...... Heat exposure is far more prevalent in developing countries, with many experiencing at least 100 or more days of health-threatening heat than without climate change. Increased heat due to climate change is especially dangerous for older adults, who are more likely to have an underlying health condition and less able to protect themselves during a heat event. Heat-related deaths in adults older than 65 was 167% higher in 2023 than in 1990-1999 and there was a 106% increase in the average annual heat-related deaths in this age group between 1990-1999 and 2014-2023, according to the report.
Wildfires.....The catastrophic, ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area have caused 24 deaths and destroyed more than 12,000 structures as of this writing. This is the latest example of an overall global increase in wildfire frequency and severity. The risk of wildfires and human exposure to very high fire danger increased in 124 countries between 2003-2007 and 2019-2023 due to higher temperatures and more frequent droughts. Wildfire smoke contains several pollutants including particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) that are a significant threat to human health, including exacerbating respiratory illnesses and reducing lung and cardiovascular function. Research has also found that even short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5 is associated with an increased risk of mortality.
Air pollution......Toxic air pollution is a global human health hazard. The burning of fossil fuels releases pollutants such as PM2.5 and contributes to related climate changes including drought and wildfire. Drier conditions increase the likelihood of sand and dust storms that contain the air pollutant PM10. Between 2018 and 2022, 3.8 billion people were exposed to unsafe concentrations of PM10, which was a 31% increase from 2003-07, the report found. Exposure to fossil fuel derived PM2.5 contributed to 2.09 million of 6.4 million total deaths attributable to PM2.5 in 2021. Although fossil fuels accounted for over 30% of PM2.5 mortality, this actually reflects a reduction of 156,000 fossil fuel related pollution deaths since 2016. This is due to decreased coal-related pollution in high and very high human development index (HDI) countries, underlining the tangible health benefits of decarbonization.
Extreme weather accelerating global food insecurity .....Extreme heat and drought are causing millions more people to experience food insecurity. Nearly 50% of the global land area was affected by one or more months of extreme drought in 2023. The reduction in crop yields, water, and disrupted supply chains contributed to 151 million more people experiencing food insecurity in 2022 due to climate change.
Infectious disease.....Warming temperatures, extreme precipitation and flooding are creating more favorable conditions for disease-carrying insects worldwide. Mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths and 700 million infections per year. Warmer temperatures accelerate mosquito development and lengthen disease transmission seasons by a month or more. The climatic suitability for transmission of dengue fever by two species of mosquito, Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti – also known as Asian tiger mosquito and yellow fever mosquito – increased by 46.3% and 10.7%, respectively, between 1951-60 and 2014-23. An additional 17.1% of global land area became suitable for transmission of malaria between 1951-60 and 2014-23.
The Growing Carbon Footprint of Healthcare.....A paradox of modern healthcare is that treatment of diseases, many of which are exacerbated by climate change, generates significant greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to climate change. The global healthcare sector accounts for 4.6% of total emissions, according to the report. Emissions increased 36% between 2016 and 2021. Air pollution from healthcare emissions contributed to 4.6 million disability-adjusted life years lost in 2021......read on https://earth.org/new-report-highlights-detrimental-impact-of-climate-change-on-human-health/ More on the topic: What Are Zoonotic Diseases?
