Extreme warmth kills at least 175,000 people annually in the European region, where temperatures are continuing to rise rapidly, the World Health Organization warned.
Europe is among the fastest-warming region in the world, with temperatures rising at around twice the rate of the global average. And people in the WHO European region are “paying the ultimate price” for the severe heat, WHO’s Europe director warned Thursday.
“Heat stress is the leading cause of climate-related death in the Region,” Hans Henri P. Kluge wrote in a statement. “Temperature extremes exacerbate chronic conditions, including cardiovascular, respiratory and cerebro-vascular diseases, mental health, and diabetes-related conditions.”
The WHO’s European region includes 53 countries in Europe and the Caucasus, along with Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
WHO estimates show there have been about 489,000 heat-related deaths globally each year between 2000 and 2019. The European region accounts for 36 percent of those deaths, or on average 176,040 every year. Overall, heat-related deaths in the region have increased by around 30 percent over the past two decades.
Kluge urged countries to develop heat-health action plans, which are “a crucial adaptation process” to make communities more resilient to heat waves.
Currently, more than 20 countries in the region have similar plans — but that is “not enough to protect all communities,” Kluge warned.
The WHO’s Europe branch is also developing an update to its action plan guidance, which is supposed to support national and local governments in establishing their own plans.
“The adverse health effects of hot weather are largely preventable through good public health practices, so if we are better prepared for a hotter Region, we will save many lives, both now and in the future,” he said.
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