By Online Desk
GENEVA: Due to climate change, there could be 2.5 lakh additional deaths per year by end of 2030 and over 90 lakh deaths each year by the end of the century, says the latest World Health Statistics 2023 report by the World Health Organization
Additional deaths, or excess deaths, is the divergence between all-cause deaths reported in a particular year and the expected fatalities under normal conditions.
The estimates have been drawn up by leading researchers and working group II of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change based on current evidence and global emissions.
The report stated that up to 360 crore people globally are exposed to the impacts of climate change with low and middle-income countries, such as India, facing greater consequences despite contributing the least to the global emissions.
The report said the poor, the elderly, women, children, indigenous people, outdoor workers and those with pre-existing medical conditions are at higher risk than others.
The report stated that in 2014, a group of researchers were tasked to estimate deaths due to climate change. This group estimated that climate-related deaths due to malaria, heatstroke, undernutrition, diarrhoea and coastal flood mishaps can result in 2.5 lakh more deaths by 2030.Climate change can also adversely impact water and food quality, it said. “Children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the burden of foodborne diseases, resulting in 1.25 lakh child deaths every year,” the report said, adding that continued climate change will increase this number further.
Changing temperature has also become more conducive to the transmission of mosquito-borne, tick-borne and rodent-borne diseases, the report said. “If prevention methods are not strengthened, this could lead to an increase in the over 7 lakh deaths from vector-borne diseases each year,” it warned.
The World Health Statistics report recommended three crucial steps to reduce the health impact of climate change reduction in carbon emissions, climate resilient health systems and adequate funding to protect public health from climate change.
GENEVA: Due to climate change, there could be 2.5 lakh additional deaths per year by end of 2030 and over 90 lakh deaths each year by the end of the century, says the latest World Health Statistics 2023 report by the World Health Organization
Additional deaths, or excess deaths, is the divergence between all-cause deaths reported in a particular year and the expected fatalities under normal conditions.
The estimates have been drawn up by leading researchers and working group II of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change based on current evidence and global emissions.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The report stated that up to 360 crore people globally are exposed to the impacts of climate change with low and middle-income countries, such as India, facing greater consequences despite contributing the least to the global emissions.
The report said the poor, the elderly, women, children, indigenous people, outdoor workers and those with pre-existing medical conditions are at higher risk than others.
The report stated that in 2014, a group of researchers were tasked to estimate deaths due to climate change. This group estimated that climate-related deaths due to malaria, heatstroke, undernutrition, diarrhoea and coastal flood mishaps can result in 2.5 lakh more deaths by 2030.
Climate change can also adversely impact water and food quality, it said. “Children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the burden of foodborne diseases, resulting in 1.25 lakh child deaths every year,” the report said, adding that continued climate change will increase this number further.
Changing temperature has also become more conducive to the transmission of mosquito-borne, tick-borne and rodent-borne diseases, the report said. “If prevention methods are not strengthened, this could lead to an increase in the over 7 lakh deaths from vector-borne diseases each year,” it warned.
The World Health Statistics report recommended three crucial steps to reduce the health impact of climate change reduction in carbon emissions, climate resilient health systems and adequate funding to protect public health from climate change.
